Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

The ethics board is appealing a ruling that dismissed its case against a super PAC that backed Jeff Brown for mayor

The ethics board sent shockwaves through the mayor’s race when it sued For a Better Philadelphia, the political action committee that spent millions to boost Brown as he ran in the Democratic primary.

Jeff Brown, left, finished fifth in the Democratic primary for mayor. Cherelle Parker, right, won the nomination and faces Republican David Oh in the general election.
Jeff Brown, left, finished fifth in the Democratic primary for mayor. Cherelle Parker, right, won the nomination and faces Republican David Oh in the general election.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

The Philadelphia Board of Ethics is appealing a recent court ruling that dismissed its high-profile lawsuit against the super PAC that backed Jeff Brown’s unsuccessful campaign for mayor.

The ethics board in April sent shockwaves through the mayor’s race when it sued For A Better Philadelphia, the political action committee that spent millions to boost Brown as he sought the Democratic nomination earlier this year.

Super PACs are not subject to the city’s limits on the size of political contributions, allowing them to raise large amounts of money quickly, but they are prohibited from coordinating with candidates or their campaigns.

The board accused the super PAC of illegally coordinating with Brown because he raised money for the group in the months leading up to the launch of his campaign in November 2022.

For A Better Philadelphia sought to have the case dismissed, and Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Joshua Roberts agreed in September, ruling that Brown’s involvement with the PAC was not prohibited because he had not yet launched his campaign.

» READ MORE: A judge ruled against the Philly ethics board in its case against super PAC that supported mayoral candidate Jeff Brown

The board appealed that ruling to the state Commonwealth Court on Oct. 10, and announced its decision at a board meeting Wednesday.

Brown is not a party to the ethics board’s litigation, but he called Roberts’ ruling a vindication of his actions during the mayoral campaign.

A well-known grocery store operator who had never run for office, Brown had been an early frontrunner in the race. News of the ethics board’s investigation, along with a series of unrelated missteps, spelled the end of his hopes of winning the mayor’s office as the ultimate political outsider.

He ended up finishing fifth in the May 16 primary, which was won by former City Councilmember Cherelle Parker.

Parker faces Republican David Oh in the Nov. 7 general election and is widely expected to win thanks to Democrats’ overwhelming advantage in the city.

The next mayor will replace Jim Kenney, who is not allowed to run for a third consecutive term, in January.