ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown City Council could hire the investigator who helped take down former Mayor Ed Pawlowski to probe allegations of racism and discrimination at City Hall.
Council is scheduled Wednesday to consider a resolution to approve a contract with FLEO Investigations and its owner and chief executive officer, Scott Curtis, to lead the long-awaited investigation.
Curtis, a former FBI special agent, was the agency’s lead investigator as it scrutinized allegations of corruption surrounding Pawlowski before he was hit with corruption-related charges in 2018.
Six of seven council members co-sponsored the resolution to hire Scott Curtis and FLEO Investigations to conduct the probe, signaling its likely passage Wednesday.Allentown City Council documents
Curtis built the case against the former mayor, who now is in the midst of a 15-year federal prison sentence.
Curtis retired from the FBI six years ago, but he’s likely to return to Allentown this summer to head council’s investigation and examine all firings, resignations and salary adjustments within city government since the start of 2022.
Investigators also are expected to interview people who filed complaints with the city or with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Human Relations Commission.
Council voted in April to allocate at least $300,000 for the investigation. A one-word amendment to the initial bill means members could approve more money down the line.
Curtis will have the power to subpoena information from witnesses, thanks to the bill council members passed in October to authorize the investigation.
Six of council’s seven members co-sponsored the resolution to hire Curtis and FLEO Investigations to conduct the probe, signaling its likely passage Wednesday.
Councilman Santo Napoli did not sign onto the resolution as a co-sponsor.
A long time coming
Council’s move to hire Curtis comes nine months after it approved the investigation, with member Ed Zucal attributing its much-delayed start to numerous legal and procedural hurdles.
Zucal has said he expects the investigation won’t take as long — about six months.
Residents repeatedly demanded last summer that council investigate numerous allegations of racism and discrimination within city government.
Those allegations first were published in July 2023 in a letter from the NAACP’s Allentown branch.
"Employees of color said they were 'verbally attacked' by white supervisors; it’s also alleged that 'white managers rule out Black and Brown employees during promotions.'"NAACP letter to Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
The five-page letter, addressed directly to Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, highlighted a “concerning number of complaints from Black and Brown employees” who work in City Hall.
Those allegations include claims that some white Allentown police officers threatened to shoot their Black colleagues, who are targeted by racial slurs and “continuously threatened,” the letter said.
Employees of color said they were “verbally attacked” by white supervisors; it’s also alleged that “white managers rule out Black and Brown employees during promotions,” according to the NAACP letter.
Tuerk has denied the letter’s accusations that his administration “ignores” racism and discrimination, but he didn't address nor deny any specific allegations.
The mayor in October said he welcomes the investigation.
