Sheriff ‘slush fund’ paid for dancing ad | Morning Newsletter
⛳ And play Philly Phairway.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Happy Friday, Philly. It should be a gloriously sunny day with a high near 68.
In today’s main story, we follow the money to uncover the questionable source of an ad campaign by the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office.
Further on, tee up to learn the secrets of the PGA Championship course through our pro golf mini-game.
Plus, Philadelphia just enacted some of the toughest local limits on ICE in the nation, and more news of the day.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Off-budget spending in the sheriff’s office has increased dramatically.
That’s according to new financial records that show the office spent $8 million using a secretive “slush fund” between March 2024 and October 2025. That money was siphoned off official fee revenue — a practice the sheriff insists is aboveboard, despite legal opinions to the contrary.
Among those expenses was $600,000 paid to a company run by Sheriff Rochelle Bilal’s former campaign manager for a recruitment campaign — including the 30-second advertisement that ran on TV in November, featuring Bilal dancing with her co-workers in an effort to hire more deputies. The cost of the campaign exceeded the Philly police department’s annual marketing budget.
Was the ad successful? Bilal won’t say, but payroll records show that a handful of deputy recruits were brought in after the campaign. Bilal also won’t say how much the ad cost, or who was paid to produce it.
But an Inquirer investigation found that the recent ad campaign checks — and thousands of other “off-budget” expenditures made on Bilal’s watch — came from a little-known bank account called “Operation Cost Payable.”
Investigative reporters Ryan W. Briggs and William Bender have the full story.
We’re gearing up to host the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink. But before the tournament comes to town, we developed a way for you to play the course.
With club pro Jeff Kiddie’s advice, you’ll learn the tricks of the turf, like which holes play downwind, and how they have transformed over time.
⛳ You could take your shot at all 18 holes, just half the course, or stick to the highlights.
⛳ Tip: Before you pull back to swing, pay close attention to the distance to the hole.
My scorecard from 6 holes: -6. 🫣
How will you rank? Try out Philly Phairway Pro Golf here.
What you should know today
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker approved anti-ICE legislation on Thursday codifying Philadelphia’s sanctuary city policies and banning ICE raids on city property. One bill that Parker did not sign — a measure that bans law enforcement officers from wearing masks — will still become law.
In an unexpected twist, President Donald Trump’s administration moved to abandon its legal fight to obtain private medical records of youth who received gender-affirming care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
City Council is considering a change in how Philly schools are governed after a recent showdown over closures. School board members are currently appointed.
Gov. Josh Shapiro warned utility leaders that he will oppose requests for “unacceptably high” rate hikes if they don’t control costs, though he has little authority to force change, Spotlight PA reports.
Fewer motorists are dying in Philadelphia traffic crashes, but peril remains for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorists, whom make up 55% of fatalities, according to a recent data analysis.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a bill into law on Thursday that bans restaurant reservation scalping in the state.
Townsend on East Passyunk Avenue is once again temporarily closed for the next few months, this time because of a fire next door.
The vacant Iron Hill Brewery in the center of downtown West Chester officially has a new tenant, seven months after the brewpub chain filed for liquidation bankruptcy.
Tensions between Sen. John Fetterman and Democrats have only grown, but he says he is not switching parties. With control of the U.S. Senate at stake, Republicans still welcome the idea.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from 2019 on the regularity of helicopter sightings over Philadelphia skies.
The reason involves a mix of medical transports, police and military operations, news crews, and tours. And if it may seem like aircraft is flying very close to your rooftop, we looked into altitude regulations. Here’s the full story.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
Wawa’s new orange Gritty smoothie contains a blend of mango, pineapple, and ___. It’s topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.
A) Orange juice
B) Passion fruit
C) Tart cherry
D) Avocado
Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What we’re...
🥯 Anticipating: The reopening of New York Bagels. It was forced to close after a gas explosion in March.
⚾ Impressed by: How a “gritty” Penn team bounced back and made it to the Ivy League baseball tournament.
📺 Saying goodbye to: Jersey Shore. For now, anyway.
🗳️ Considering: How Gov. Shapiro’s ties to Amazon could impact his White House dreams.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Popular brunch restaurant in Philly
BASIN CARAFES
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Cheryl Schwartz, who solved Friday’s anagram: Walt Whitman. He wrote his famed poetry by Lake Laurel in South Jersey. Now, the lake is a nature preserve.
In other South Jersey news: The area is heading into another summer already parched under the worst rainfall deficit in 20 years.
David Stokes, a gym education teacher at Robeson High School, just won a national honor. It was a bittersweet moment, given that the Philly school board voted last week to close Robeson over strong community objections. “We’re one big happy family here,” Stokes said. “There’s so much good in this school.”
👋🏽 Thanks for reading. Take care, and have a great weekend.
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