Feds raid offices of state rep, traffic court judge

FBI and IRS agents descended on the South Philadelphia office of State Rep. William F. Keller (D.-Phila.) and the home of Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge Robert Mulgrew this morning.

FBI Special Agent J.J. Klaver confirmed agents from the two law enforcement organizations were at several locations, but declined to provide other details. They were accompanied by uniformed Philadelphia police.

Federal agents also collected records from the Media offices of Martin O'Rourke, a public relations consultant who served as Keller's spokesman in 2008

Agents were also at Keller's sporting goods store, KO Sporting Goods, at 2001 East Moyamensing Ave. where they removed boxes of files and computers with tags that read "IRS criminal investigation evidence tag." Agents were on the scene from both the FBI and U.S. Treasury Department.

IRS Special Agent Shauna M. Frye confirmed that agents from her office were also at the scenes. "We are here on official business," she said.

"Representative Keller has not been invovled in, nor is he aware of, any criminal activity whatsoever," said Keller's attorney, Fortunato N. Perri Jr. "He has fully cooperated with the request for documents and he will continue to in the future."

Perri confirmed that FBI and IRS agents took documents from Keller's political and business offices. "There were specific requests and I don't want to get in to what those requests were," Perri said. Agents did not question Keller and he was not asked to appear before a grand jury.

"It's not our belief at this point that he's the target of any investigation," Perri said. He declined to offer a theory on who might be a target.

Uniformed and plain clothes law enforcement agents were at Keller's 1531 South Second Street office early this morning, witnesses said.

Keller, who represents the 184th district, was elected in 1993 to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The 59-year-old former longshoreman is chairman of the commerce committee, vice chairman of the appropriations committee, and chairman of the Committee on Committees, according to his website.

He also serves on the gaming oversight, labor relations, and urban affairs committees.

Keller has been a leading proponent of dredging the Delaware River to deepen the shipping lanes and sponsored a bill to expand the Port of Philadelphia.

Keller was inducted in 1996 to the Mummers' Fancy Brigade Hall of Fame.

No one answered Keller's South Philadelphia office telephone, but an employee in his Harrisburg office said "That's the business we are in," when asked about a raid. Keller did not respond to calls made to his cell phone.

There was no answer at Mulgrew's traffic court office.

A message left for President Judge Thomasine Tynes was not immediately returned. Traffic Court is at 800 Spring Garden Street.

KO Sporting Goods produced campaign t-shirts for Keller in 2008, when he was seeking re-election as state representative.

The t-shirts were paid for by electricians' union Local 98 through its political committee, which has spent tens of thousands of dollars at the store over the years on campaign shirts, hats and other materials for candidates backed by the union.

In Keller's case, campaign finance records show the Local 98 PAC paid KO Sporting Goods $13,809 on June 12, 2008; $3,856 on May 14, 2008; and $14,785 on Nov. 10, 2008 to produce t-shirts supporting him.

The year before, Local 98 gave the store $6,744 to make t-shirts and hats for Mulgrew, who was running for judge.

O'Rourke is one of the city's most active political consultants. His other clients include the Philadelphia Parking Authority, Controller Alan Butkovitz, and Council members James F. Kenney and Brian O'Neill.