Ravenstahl says he is not investigation target

When suspended Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Pat Ford resigned his post he did so with a fiery letter claiming there was a culture of corruption in the Raventsahl administration and he no longer wanted to be part of it. Later, rumors of an investigation into charges of corruption surfaced and during a news conference mayor Luke Ravenstahl said as far as he knows that is not true. He says neither he nor anyone else in his administration have been contacted by investigatory authorities. Ford’s attorney Lawrence Fisher says his client “has cooperated with authorities on maters of mutual interest.” He refused to elaborate on that comment. It has been reported that lowest responsible bidders were passed over for city contracts in favor of firms close to the Ravenstahl administration. Ford has been suspended with pay since allegations that he improperly accepted gifts from Lamar advertising surfaced.