Ravenstahl's Appointment of Brother Criticized

Pittsburgh Councilmen Doug Shields and Bill Peduto want 2 different ethics panels to review Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's nomination of his brother Adam Ravenstahl to the Allegheny County Sanitary (ALCOSAN) Board. On May 18, Adam Ravenstahl won a special election to the Pennsylvania House to serve out the remaining 7 months of the term of former Representative Don Walko, who resigned the seat after being elected to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
Shields has written to the State Ethics Commission asking them to issue an opinion on the appointment. Peduto has sent a letter to Sister Patrice Hughes who chairs the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board asking for an investigation. In his letter, Peduto cited city code which says the only time a direct family member can be appointed is "through a waiver from the Ethics Hearing Board."
Earlier, City Solicitor Dan Regan said the nomination is proper because council would still have to approve it.
After making the appointment, Mayor Ravenstahl brushed off allegations of nepotism, saying his brother now represents a community (Pittsburgh's North Side) which is most affected by ALCOSAN.