Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Local 98 head didn't know about campaign hit on Mayor Street

John Dougherty, head of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said he did not know in advance about a campaign palm card for his union's former political director that lambastes former Mayor John Street for overseeing an "administration was one of the most corrupt in recent history."

John Dougherty, head of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said he did not know in advance about a campaign palm card for his union's former political director that lambastes former Mayor John Street for overseeing an "administration was one of the most corrupt in recent history."

Dougherty called the palm card "the world we live in" these days. "It's politics," he said. "But I'm not upset about it."

The campaign for Ed Neilson, the former political director running in today's special election and primary election for the 169th District state House seat in Northeast Philly, started circulating the palm card over the weekend. We saw it for the first time yesterday and noticed that it closely resembled campaign literature for a Republican running in the primary election for the seat today.

Curiously, Neilson told us Monday that he was also unaware of the palm card.  Local 98 offered strong support for Street's 1999 and 2003 campaigns for mayor.  Neilson was political director for the union during both years.

Street on Monday dismissed the palm card, saying: "People are not as stupid and gullible as some people think."