Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Falls Township Board of Supervisors have suspended their solicitor after comments he made were caught on a recording of the meeting.
Michael Clarke, the solicitor for the township, was suspended late last week but the firm Rudolph Clarke that he is a partner at will continue to serve the township, according to sources.
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During the portion of the June Supervisors meeting that featured recognition of elementary school students who served as police chief for a day and a law enforcement awards ceremony, Clarke made an off-the-cuff comment that Falls Township was “constantly applauding people for doing their jobs.” He added that public works staff was “just as important” on delivering services, according to video and audio that was reviewed by LevittownNow.com.
Clarke likely thought the comments were not being broadcast or heard by the public, but the microphone in front of him caught them.
The awards that recognized Falls Township officers at the meeting covered a number of years and recognized an officer who suffered a life-threatening injury while on-duty, those who took part in a homicide investigation, law enforcement who handled a robbery, responders to a shooting call, detectives who investigated a drug delivery resulting in death case, and officers who saved a man that was bleeding to death after a suicide attempt.
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Clarke also made an off-color joke about kids coming up looking for their parent and that he may be their father.
The comments came as Clarke, who has served as township solicitor for years, was yucking it up with the township’s assistant solicitor Lauren Gallagher between recognition of police and township business. She continues to work for the township.
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The hot mic comments were initially broadcast with the mid-June Supervisors meeting. The recording was later edited to remove the audio containing the comments but not before Clarke’s comments had made their way through the police department.
Sources said the comments led to pressure on the Supervisors to suspend or fire Clarke and his firm, which is representing the township on the controversial proposal by Elcon to build a hazardous waste treatment facility.
In response to a number of questions posed to officials, Bob Harvie, Falls Township supervisors chairman, provided the following statement:
“At the June Board of Supervisors meeting the solicitor was overheard during a side conversation making two comments which in no way represent the feelings or attitude of the Board. The Board has decided that Ms. Lauren Gallagher will be the solicitor for Falls Township for the foreseeable future. The law firm representing Falls Township has done so for nearly 20 years with a high degree of skill and professionalism. The Board has confidence in the firm overall and in Ms. Gallagher, who has been a member of the firm for almost 9 years, and who has spent that entire time representing Falls Township.”
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