Council confirms 2 to Ethics Board

City Council on Thursday confirmed Mayor Nutter's newest appointments to the Board of Ethics, retired Superior Court Judge Phyllis W. Beck and lawyer Michael H. Reed.

They replace Sister Mary Scullion, an advocate for the homeless, and the Rev. Damone B. Jones, a West Philadelphia pastor.

Beck was the first woman on Superior Court, and chaired a commission in the late 1980s that recommended major changes to the state's judicial system. Reed is a bankruptcy lawyer at Pepper Hamilton and a past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

The independent, five-member board enforces campaign finance, financial disclosure, and conflict of interest laws. The board also can give ethics advice, launch investigations, and levy fines.    - Troy Graham