Mayor Kenney's appointee to lead the city's Zoning Board
of Adjustment this week became the latest ally of labor leader John
"Johnny Doc" Dougherty to fall under federal scrutiny as part of the
expanding investigation into the powerful Electricians union.
James Moylan has worked as a political consultant for
Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (headquarters
pictured) in the past.
While the scope of the warrants remains unclear, they
suggest the federal investigation could enmesh another influential arm of city
government.
There have been more than a dozen federal raids in the
last month at sites ranging from union halls to the City Hall offices of
Councilman Bobby Henon.
Authorities have also targeted the homes or offices of at
least three other members of Dougherty's inner circle, including Marita
Crawford, who succeeded Henon as the union's political director; union
president Brian Burrows; and Mike Neill, head of Local 98's apprentice program.
In each instance, the warrants sought evidence of
possible crimes, including embezzlement of union funds, intimidation of
contractors, and extortion by an unnamed public official.
Moylan, through a union spokesman, said Thursday he would
have no comment.
Kenney spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said it was too soon to
discuss whether the raids would affect Moylan's status on the board. "We
didn't even know the raids were happening, so it's difficult to say at this
point what effect they might have," she said.
The mayor appointed Moylan, 53, in February as chairman
of the five-member body, which plays a vital role in shaping city development,
and grants exceptions to building restrictions.
Like all members of the board, Moylan receives a $100
stipend for each meeting he attends, not to exceed $22,000 annually.
Moylan's connection to Dougherty spans at least two
decades. The Local 98 leader urged Moylan to move his family to Pennsport and
set up his chiropractic office there in the early 2000s, union spokesman Frank
Keel said in a statement. Since then, Dougherty has received treatment from
Moylan and considers him a "dear, personal friend," according to the
statement.
"He is a longtime community activist who volunteers
for everything," Keel's statement said. "Jim also helps Local 98 with
its charitable fund. . . . The government's interest in Jim Moylan is puzzling
to say the least."
Between 2011 and 2012, Moylan received more than $20,000 from
the union for work as a political consultant for "get out the vote"
efforts, U.S. Labor Department records show.
In 2011, Moylan became president of the Pennsport Civic
Association, a post once held by Dougherty. Moylan resigned from the position
about a year ago to avoid any potential conflict of interest when he was
appointed to the zoning board.
Rene Goodwin, a board member of the community group and
Moylan's neighbor, said he had been a strong voice for the group because he
"knows the language" of developers.
"Jim, in his role as president, made himself aware
of the zoning code so that he could talk to developers intelligently," she
said.
More recently, Moylan spoke in Dougherty's defense after
a May 2014 melee broke out among Dougherty, Local 98 members, and nonunion
bricklayers across the street from Moylan's office on the 300 block of Reed
Street.
The bricklayers told police that Dougherty and his
members started the altercation. Moylan told investigators that he saw as many
as five men near Dougherty, with three "coming at him" and two others
standing nearby with pipes.
The matter remains under review as part of a state grand
jury investigation led by the Attorney General's Office.
Dougherty has denied wrongdoing related to the fight and
the matters at the heart of the federal probe.
In a letter to the union's membership last week, he
wrote: "The scope of these investigations suggest a comprehensive attack
on multiple aspects of Local 98."
Source: Philly.com
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