Council asked to request NeighborWorks investigate potential conflict involving city council candidate

A letter copied to Scranton City Council alleging a potential conflict of interest involving a NeighborWorks employee who is also a city council candidate was raised in open session and council leadership asked the administration and solicitor to seek an opinion and request NeighborWorks conduct an internal review.

Council member Mr. King said a March 5 letter from an attorney at the law firm Joyce Carmody & Moran was sent to NeighborWorks' board and copied to council; the letter opined that Todd Pooley, described in the attorney's letter as a NeighborWorks employee and a council candidate, posed a potential conflict of interest if elected. Council discussed the source and apparent motivations of the letter during the meeting.

Council direction and next steps: Mr. King asked that administration forward a request to NeighborWorks to conduct an internal investigation into whether Mr. Pooley's employment would create a conflict of interest if he serves on city council, and to seek an advisory opinion from the State Ethics Commission if necessary. Mr. King asked that the council solicitor render an opinion as well when the solicitor returns.

Why it matters: Allegations of conflicts involving local nonprofit staff and candidates for elected office raise governance and ethics questions; council requested investigations and legal advice to clarify whether a disqualifying conflict exists.

Ending: Council asked the city solicitor to review the matter when available and for administration to contact NeighborWorks leadership to request an internal inquiry and, if appropriate, an ethics opinion; no formal ethics determination or enforcement action was taken at the meeting.