The Allegheny County District Attorney faces calls to resign, the push for campaign finance reform in Allentown is delayed, plus cocktails to-go become one step closer to becoming permanent in PA. All of that and more are in this week’s Ups and Downs.

Every week PoliticsPA sends an exclusive extra Up or Down to Playbook subscribers. See who gets the extra up or down next week: sign up here.

Stephen Zappala. The Allegheny County District Attorney is facing calls to resign from members of his own party. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that he, “emailed all of his deputy prosecutors forbidding them from offering any plea deals” to Milton Raiford or his clients, after Raiford “spoke out against racism in the criminal justice system.” Instead of issuing an apology, WESA reports that Zappala is “doubling down” on the controversial decision. 

Philly Dem City Commissioners. After Republicans threatened to impeach them and “clashing with Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration,” they reversed court on undated mail ballots. WHYY reports that Philadelphia commissioners reversed  their decision to count undated mail ballots from May’s primary election. 

Allentown Campaign Finance Reform. The fight for campaign finance reform continues in Allentown. The Allentown Morning Call reports that Allentown City Council “again kicked the can on proposed campaign finance regulations, seeking more time to determine how to enforce reporting requirements and contribution limits.” Although the effort continues to provide reform on this matter, it will have to wait another day. 

Cocktails To-Go. The first step has been taken in making them permanent. The state House voted 187-14 in favor of permanently legalizing cocktails to-go in Pennsylvania. 

Thomas A. Placey and Lyris Younge. One judge resigns, while another has been suspended. According to PennLive, Placey, the Cumberland County Judge, who is facing “judicial misconduct charges stemming from a pattern of angry outbursts at litigants and attorneys in and around his court,” has resigned from his position. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Young will be suspended for six months after the “state’s Court of Judicial Discipline ruled that her “repeated, clearly improper conduct” in Family Court — including illegally jailing parents, having parents handcuffed in her courtroom, and insulting and belittling people who appeared before her — was “blatant and inexcusable.”

Christian Dunbar. This former Philadelphia official has been indicted on more charges. The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that former Philadelphia City Treasurer Christian Dunbar, who is “already facing federal charges for bank embezzlement and immigration fraud,” has been “indicted on tax offenses.” 

TWEET OF THE WEEK

I will miss watching #MareOfEasttown It was just so nice to watch a tv show where people spoke normally and with no accent.

— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) May 31, 2021

Who is Ed Gainey talking to here?

Lol pic.twitter.com/p1wHgctwof

— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) June 1, 2021