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Report: Philly Deputy DA Demoted After Clash with Williams

Fina-WilliamsSeveral people throughout the commonwealth have taken issue with Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams lately. Specifically, Williams’ decisions to not fire Frank Fina and punt on a prosecution of John Dougherty drew significant criticism.

Apparently, those feelings also existed in the DA’s office and may have hurt one employee’s career.

According to David Gambacorta of Philadelphia Magazine, Laurie Malone, the Deputy DA who oversaw the Pre-Trial Division, was demoted shortly after recommending that criminal charges be filed against Dougherty.

Additionally, Gambacorta reports that Malone was one of those who urged Williams to fire Fina for his involvement in the lewd email chain.

The DA’s office not only denies any connection but is also asserting that there was no internal disagreement over the Dougherty case.

“There was never any disagreement within the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office about whether charges were appropriate in the Dougherty matter,” they stated. “In accordance with the law, the District Attorney made no decision on the matter because of his prior relationship with Mr. Dougherty.”

32 Responses

  1. So – this is the guy the top Deputy wanted fired:

    According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Frank Fina, the best-known prosecutor implicated in the Hate-gate scandal so far told a roomful of people in 2009 that the financial and political abuses of the “bonusgate” scandal in the state Legislature had at least bought taxpayers “a great set of tits.”

    State House Speaker Bill DeWeese attributed those comments to Fina, when he’d asked DeWeese if he knew that an illegal bonus to a government employee had been used for breast enhancement surgery.

    Fina, you may recall, was already associated with offensive email and required to attend “sensitivity training” by his current employer, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. Fina didn’t respond to Ruderman for her story and hasn’t returned messages either.
    But this is going to be hard to ignore.

    When Mayor-elect Jim Kenney was asked about Fina he said: “I think it’s increasingly difficult for those individuals [Fina. Costanzo, and Blessington], based on the information that is out there, to do anything productive when it comes to prosecuting people or representing [victims].”

    Lot’s of “No Comments” from Seth Williams and Frank Fina. And now that we know that Seth Williams has just hired Kathy Martin to a six-figure job, the chorus is getting louder. Kathy Martin is the wife of Bob Levant, the lawyer representing Fina in his money-driven lawsuit against the AG’s Office. Here is Kathy Martin, on behalf of the D.A.’s Office defending and praising the “great set of tits” prosecutor, Frank Fina (who just so happens to be her husband’s client) and his racist, pervert buddies:

    “Keeping them here [at the Philadelphia D.A.’s Office] exhibits our faith in them that they’re smart, capable, hard-working, dedicated civil servants,” Martin said.

    LOL – so the “great set of tits” prosecutor is now a folk hero now … At least to Kathy Martin – who has a financial interest in saying so!!!

  2. Wow — Even more bad news for DA Seth Williams in Philadelphia:

    http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160401_Whodunit_at_the_D_A__s_house__Who_slashed_the_tires_.html

    Seems the taxpayers have spent $2,000,000.00 on Seth Williams’ “security detail.” And, despite that, it seems a pissed off girl Seth was banging managed to slash the tires of two City vehicles parked at Seth’s house without the $2M security team even knowing.

    And – as if that is not bad enough, Seth failed to report the incidents as required by the City’s Policies and Procedures. Wonder why … lmao.

    Putting aside the lover’s quarrel that probably led to the defacing of City property, there is a real problem when the City’s top prosecutor thinks the rules do not apply to him. It would be one thing if his g/f slashed the tires of his personal vehicle. Then Seth has every right to not report it to Police. But, when it is City property, and taxpayer property and money are involved, you have to report it. You just have to. But not people like Seth. They really think their “position” will shield them from accountability.

    The Feds need to move fast!!! This guy is a flaming corrupt asshole doing real damage to the Office and the City.

  3. The sad fact of life in county DA offices is that there is very often retaliation against prosecutors who are trying to do their jobs and represent the public interest. after being fired or demoted, the employees have little recourse except to file a first amendment lawsuit and hope they can survive financially until it settles. I hope Ms. Malone has ACLU’s phone number stored because she’ll need it. and i hope her whistleblower activities shed more light into the sordid den of scoundrels and thieves that seem to constitute the Philly DA’s office.

  4. Cowardly Seth Williams tried to pull his usual don’t-speak-to-the-Press-but-get-his-story-out nonsense with yet another “letter” to the Inquirer about his punting of the Dougherty case. Though it made little sense and did not address any of the issues raised by his critics, they printed it. But they made sure they printed a letter-to-the-editor from a doctor on the subject as well. It reads:

    “When someone named Dougherty was slugged (“Pa. Justice Dougherty recovering after attack by homeless man,” Saturday), the aggressor was arrested. When another Dougherty family member slugged someone (“FBI, state prosecutors investigating fight involving union leader Dougherty,” Feb. 24), there was no arrest.”

    Well done, Doctor Schraeder. Well done.

    This dirt-ball Williams has got to be held accountable. He is a laughingstock in the Courthouse. His DA’s are turning against him. He isn’t doing his job. And his personal life is a mess. Time for the Feds to take him out.

  5. Reading this story on Phillymag.com makes me sick to my stomach. As a women, I am absolutely repulsed by Seth Williams. To think that I voted for him too. That will certainly not happen again.

  6. Below, Phillyvoter makes a great point:

    “So if seths explanation of the Dougherty punt is to be accepted, then why is seths office handling the big narcotics case against the “scion” of the politically prominent philadelphia Campbell family who was just arrested about ten days ago? Seths politically and supposedly personally connected to that family, and for what it’s worth the entire bench in philly probably owes that family political favors! Selective punting, seth?”

    And Phillyvoter got me thinking — If Seth’s explanation of the Dougherty punt is to be accepted, why is his Office handling the case against the kid that assaulted Kevin Dougherty? Doesn’t that (mentally ill) kid have a right to a DA that has not been given huge amounts of $$$ by the victim’s family?

    Something is VERY rotten at the DA’s Office!!

  7. It’s OK bungy. We do not judge here. Unlike Fina & TheCorbett Pervs, we accept everyone here … Well – everyone except RETARD TROLLS.

  8. Oops!! I didn’t mean to type that here. I was in a different chat-room and I thought I was talking to some guys I met online. Sorry!!

  9. Wait/what — There have been many who have questioned Seth Williams’ ethics. But the level he has taken this to now is different. It’s illegal.

    By all accounts – this Deputy DA is a hard-working career prosecutor with a long list of accomplishments. Speaking out when it is revealed that your boss has hired bigots as prosecutors is not inappropriate. In fact – it is to be commended. Why be punitive with an employee who gave you advice that you chose not to follow? Especially when it turns out that the advice was correct.

    Think about it – if the article is accurate that this top deputy urged Williams to get rid of Fina last summer, that would have been before Seth Williams became the target of just about every leader in this City – from Councilwoman Cindy Bass to Sen. Hardy Williams to the President of the National Organization of Women – over his decision to keep Fina ion the City’s payrolls. That means that Seth could have completely avoided the political Hell he has put himself in if he would have listened to this top deputy’s advice.

    Williams should be thanking her and giving her a raise.

    His BS statement to the writer re: Dougherty is just hogwash. He is lying and spinning. It does;t even make sense that he can prosecute Bishop despite a “longstanding relationship,” but cannot prosecute Dougherty because of a “longstanding relationship.” That is about money – plain and simple, Dougherty gave a lot – so he gets a free pass from Williams. Bishop didn’t – so she gets prosecuted.

  10. It’s painfully obvious that none of the posters live in Phila. Seth has always been a politician. He beat two much more qualified candidates for the DA race because of his color. And none of these character flaws are close to new. They were all pointed out when he won election but the media gave him a pass-new DA, New Day. Lynn Abraham said it best: he’s an empty suit living off his defense attorney buddies and his PAC fund to support his celebrity lifestyle.

  11. Frank Fina is a good guy. Trust me!! He’s swell

    Just ignore the fact that my husband is one of Fina’s lawyers in a money-driven lawsuit against the State and AG’s Office. Please. Just ignore that. Oh – and ignore that my husband is also Tyron Ali’s lawyer. Yes – the same Tyron Ali that was the “cooperator” on Fina’s Legislative Sting case. Just ignore that too.

    Laurie Malone thinks she can get away with suggesting that my husband’s client get fired? Well – I’ll show her!!

  12. Wow. Seems like Seth Williams is just begging to be dragged out of there. Make sure you read the real article here (without Field’s spin): http://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/03/22/deputy-da-demoted-johnny-doc-seth-williams/

    If Williams is denying any connection between the Deputy recommending charges against Dougherty and her demotion, then he better tell us why he demoted her. The other reason given (her advice to fire a known racist and misogynist) is even worse.

  13. Noted Philadelphia attorney Thomas Bergstrom, in today’s paper, called Seth Williams “breathtakingly dishonest.”

    Add to that “egotistical, corrupt and morally bankrupt” and you have Seth Williams pegged.

    Ask any person in the Courthouse who they trust and respect more – Williams or Malone. It’s not even close. Malone in a landslide. Williams seems like he is out of control. FBI should act fast. Before he goes more damage.

  14. Philly’s newest member of the GOP: Seth Williams, ladies and gentlemen!! He is not having a good year:

    First Seth Williams gets exposed for hiring pervert, racist, woman-haters that were more involved in Hate-gate than the disgraced, forced-to-resign Eakin was. Then, he prosecutes a prominant Black public figure (Bishop) while refusing to prosecute a White one (Johnny Doc):

    http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160315_Inquirer_Editorial__D_A__shouldn_t_dodge__Johnny_Doc__case.html

    Williams has some explaining to do. He says he can’t prosecute Dougherty because he has a “longstanding relationship” with the union thug who gave him tons of $$$. But he has no problem prosecuting Representative Bishop, who he has known since he was a boy.
    Bishop’s mistake was that she did not give Seth Williams tons of $$$.

    Seth Williams is a creep, He’s corrupt. And now – he is a Republican too:
    http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160314_On_the_rocks__Democratic_D_A__Williams_turns_to_GOP_pols_in_Harrisburg.html

    Even Republicans are usually smart enough not to demote a female employee for standing up and speaking out when there are racists and perverts masquerading as prosecutors. Seth Williams is no longer an “idealist.” He is a desperate politician in bed with shady characters. Williams will do or say anything. Look at the unethical Judge he just got elected (Scott DiClaudio). Look at how he spends campaign money on personal expenses. I hope the FBI comes for him sooner rather than later.

    Seems that Williams realizes that he HAS NO FRIENDS in Philadelphia. He is broke. His Office is in a mutiny. He can’t put the booze down. And his relationships with women he hired while he was screwing them is about to be exposed. All the while he turns the other way and lets Shady get away with sucker-punching and stomping police officers. Desperate politicians do not make good District Attorneys. Desperate politicians demote hard-working prosecutors who have the morals and courage that Fina and pals do not. Seems Malone had the courage to speak the truth. Not publicly. Not to the Press. But to her boss, Seth Williams. Williams not only ignored her good advice – but is now punishing her for it.

  15. Seth was an idealist when he was student government President at Penn State. What happened?

  16. Trying to think how things can get worse for Seth Williams. We already know that he has no money and no friends in Philadelphia. No one respects or trusts him. He hires racists. He hires perverts. The people brhind his PAC are Corbett Republicans in Harrisburg. And, if you give Seth Williams money, he will turn his back on victims of violent crime.

    Never have I seen a DA so make a mess of him/herself and so disgrace the office. Lynne Abraham never had problems like this. She was loyal to her top people. She was consistent. She cared about getting it right.

    Williams wants to have it both ways. He wants credit for prosecuting Representative Bishop and credit for not prosecuting John Dougherty. It doesn’t work that way.

    He shouldn’t be able to get away with demoting someone because she made a recommendation that he do his job and prosecute Dougherty; or for recommending that the office fire the porngate participants. If Seth Williams would have listened to her, he wouldn’t be in the terrible position he finds himself in now. Williams’ alleged “conflict” is utter nonsense. It was manufactured so he can count on Dougherty for more donations.

  17. I have a theory. It’s a little bit out there and complicated so try to follow it:

    Seth Williams is corrupt and on the take to his donors to shield them from prosecution in a quid pro quo relationship.

    Oh… I guess it wasn’t that complicated after all. 🙂

  18. So if seths explanation of the Dougherty punt is to be accepted, then why is seths office handling the big narcotics case against the “scion” of the politically prominent philadelphia Campbell family who was just arrested about ten days ago? Seths politically and supposedly personally connected to that family, and for what it’s worth the entire bench in philly probably owes that family political favors! Selective punting, seth?

  19. Great point Greg. Seth Williams has some explaining to do!! He can start by explaining why this Deputy was demoted to Chief. Other than recommend what the rest of civilized society has called for Williams to do, what exactly did she do wrong? The PhillyMag article said that she questioned the judgment of prosecutors who would use their State computers on the vile material Fina distributed. Sounds like she should have been PROMOTED!!

  20. I don’t get it. If the 1st Assistant at an AG’s Office where the AG received donations from the accused can handle the case, why can’t the 1st Assistant at the Philadelphia DA’s Office handle the case? Seems like the Phialrlphia DA is not bring up-front here.

  21. “There was never any disagreement within the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office about whether charges were appropriate in the Dougherty matter,” they stated. “In accordance with the law, the District Attorney made no decision on the matter because of his prior relationship with Mr. Dougherty.”

    Does this mean that if you have a “prior relationship” with the DA, you can (allegedly or actually) commit assault and the DA will not make any decisions to prosecute you?

    Because it sure f*cking sounds like that.

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