Peterkin Bell Butkovitz Suit
Peterkin Bell Butkovitz Suit
Plaintiff,
v.
ALAN BUTKOVITZ
and
ASHLEY DEL BIANCO
,
Defendants.
Attested by the
Office of Judicial Records
24 AUG 2016 03:23 pm
M. BRYANT
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No.___________________
Asociacion de Licenciados de
Filadelphia
Servicio de Referencia e Informacion
Legal
1101 Market Street-11th Floor
Filadelfia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 238-6333
PRELMINARY STATEMENT
He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points
clearly to a political career.
-George Bernard Shaw
On August 16, 2016, Desiree Peterkin Bell became collateral damage in a petty
attempt to be relevant by a hyper-ambitious politician who hopes to one day aspire for
political relevance. Based on nothing more than made up lies spewed by a vindictive
woman (Ashley Del Bianco) seeking to tear down her former co-worker, Alan Butkovitz
decided to use his office as a bully pulpit to destroy Ms. Peterkin Bells unblemished
reputation of public service with the transparent belief that it would embarrass Mayor
Nutter, and catapult him back into the spotlight that has long ignored him and that he so
desperately craves.
Butkovitz and Del Bianco will attempt to cower behind their political offices and
scream immunity after throwing bombs that have improperly assassinated Ms.
Peterkin Bells character. McCarthyist-tactics like calling press conferences to publicly
accuse, indict, try, and judge Ms. Peterkin Bell in the press, however, have nothing to
do with Butkovitzs job as the Controller or Del Biancos job as Executive Director of the
Mayors Fund of Philadelphia. Consequently, City taxpayer dollars should not be
wasted defending Butkovitz and Del Bianco in this lawsuit, which stems solely from their
conduct and statements made in their individual capacities; they should be required to
use their own money to defend their slander. Butkovitz and Del Bianco must be called
to task for such calumny or holding political office will equal a right to assassinate the
character of any private citizen with impunity. Their cries of immunity for their
defamatory statements should fall on deaf ears because of their conduct.
PARTIES AND VENUE
1.
Ms. Peterkin Bell is a Deans Award recipient, 5-time NCAA All American
in Track and Field, a graduate of Swarthmore College with a special major in Political
Science and Education. Ms. Peterkin Bell also earned a Masters Degree in Public
Administration from Baruch College in New York with highest honors through the
National Urban Fellows Program. Ms. Peterkin Bell has worked in and around
government for over 22 years.
5.
jobs because of political patronage and favors; she has served mayoral administrations
in Indianapolis, Newark, and New York City because she is a talented, hardworking
professional, without a whiff of corruption or taint on her reputation.
6.
R. Bloomberg, where she represented the Administration before the 51-City Council
members and most notably helped to negotiate and shepherd three historic pieces of
legislation through to final passage and public law: the New York City Smoke Free Air
Act of 2002, Tort Reform and the Film Tax Credit.
7.
Studios, Country Music Awards, The Latin Grammys, and negotiated media barters
with cities including London, Amsterdam, and Dusseldorf, Germany.
8.
the Director of Communications for Mayor Cory A. Booker in Newark, New Jersey.
9.
multi-platform communications network for Newark where one did not previously exist.
10.
leadership and named the citys Office of Communications as the Best City Office of
Communications in New Jersey. Ms. Peterkin Bell is credited with building the social
media strategy that launched the City of Newark and its then new Mayor, Cory A.
Booker.
11.
leading local, regional, national and international traditional and non-traditional media
strategies for the City of Philadelphia and Mayor Michael A. Nutter. She crafted the
first-ever social media policy for the City of Philadelphia and built an award winning
online presence for the City, getting the City of Philadelphia recognized and highlighted
in various national magazines including but not limited to: Esquire, The Economist and
Governing Magazine.
13.
In 2012, Ms. Peterkin Bell briefly left the Nutter Administration to serve as
Senior Advisor for Communications for Obama for America Pennsylvania. Ms.
After the 2012 election, Ms. Peterkin Bell returned to the Nutter
During the final four years of Mayor Nutters Administration, Ms. Peterkin
Bell, inter alia, helped gain recognition for the City of Philadelphia as designated World
Festival and Event City for excellence in event management through successful
production of major, grand-scale events including Wawa Welcome America with the
Roots and the GORE-TEX Philadelphia Marathon.
16.
Ms. Peterkin Bell advised and produced major public and local ceremonial
events including: Made In America Concert; World Meeting of Families 2015; and the
hosting of Pope Francis Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which was the largest
event ever hosted by any North American city.
17.
Ms. Peterkin Bell also served as the lead in drafting and negotiating the
19.
Ironically, it was the most successful event in this Citys history hosting
Pope Francis for which Ms. Peterkin Bell has been falsely accused by a do-nothing
bomb thrower (Butkovitz) and a vindictive, jealous former co-worker (Del Bianco) of
criminal misconduct. Nothing could be further from the truth and it is those accusations
that form the basis of her suit against Butkovitz and Del Bianco.
The Mayors Fund for Philadelphia
21.
The Mayors Fund for Philadelphia (the Fund) grew out of the Council
for Progress, which was started in 1979 as a way to assist the City in raising money,
preparing and planning for large scale special events. See
http://www.mayorsfundphila.org/about/our-history/ (last accessed August 24, 2016).
22.
After becoming a 501(c)(3) in 1982, the Council changed its name to the
Fund for Philadelphia in 1984 under Mayor Wilson Goode, and the City
Representative became the chair. (Id.)
23.
executive director and board and changed the name to the Mayors Fund for
Philadelphia. (Id.)
24.
One source of revenue for the Fund has been the reserves account from
26.
previous Marathons due to Ms. Peterkin Bell securing GORE-TEX as a sponsor of the
event.
27.
increased. The Reserves Account was created long before Ms. Peterkin Bell
assumed her role as Chair of the Fund, but was always used in alignment with the
Mayors priorities and goals.
29.
The Reserves Account was not set up to function in the same manner as
the Marathon Grants Account. This was not a decision made by Ms. Peterkin Bell this
was the way the Reserves Account functioned at the time Ms. Peterkin Bell became
City Representative.
30.
To make an expenditure out of the Reserves Account did not require the
Boards approval the expenditure need simply meet one of the Mayors five priorities
and goals, which were:
31.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Place of Choice
(5)
Public Safety
Ms. Peterkin Bell did not establish the Mayors five priorities and goals.
32.
The procedure for utilizing the Reserves Account is to meet the Mayors
five priorities and goals and then inform the Executive Director of the Fund (who since
February 2015 has been Del Bianco), which is the same process followed for the other
50-plus City Department accounts.
33.
has no ability to cut checks or financially mange the Fund; all of that is performed by Del
Bianco and her staff, who are responsible for managing all of the 50-plus City
Department Accounts.
Del Bianco and Butkovitz Set up a Sham Investigation
34.
Michael Nutter, Defendant Ashley Del Bianco became concerned that she may lose her
job with the change in administrations.
35.
After the election and in an attempt to ingratiate herself and retain her job,
37.
Del Bianco apparently figured that the best way to keep her job was to
Del Biancos target became the very expenditures that she herself had
approved and cut checks for. Of course, there was nothing inappropriate about these
expenditures or Del Bianco would not have approved the expenditures and would have
raised this as an issue before the funds were spent.
39.
40.
the Funds expenditures with Del Biancos request for review of procedures as the
purported rationale for Butkovitz to investigate. By making this request, Del Bianco was
insuring her job security because if fired, she could claim she was retaliated against for
whistleblowing.
41.
expressed concerns that some of the Marathon Reserves funds may not have been
spent appropriately. (See Executive Summary, attached as Exhibit 1.)
42.
Ms. Bianco purposely chose to make her inquiry about waste long after
she had authorized and signed checks for the putative waste.
43.
Remarkably, this investigation did not inquire with either Mayor Nutter or
to call a press conference and to give his baseless opinion about its results, which was,
according to his own Deputy Controller, outside the scope of the Controllers
investigation.
48.
purported investigation into the use of the Fund by Ms. Peterkin Bell during 2014 and
2015.
50.
Despite the clear caveats his office gave about the use of their report on
their investigation, Butkovitz violated each of those warnings by using the sham
investigation he conjured up with Del Bianco to call a press conference to try to
embarrass and malign Mayor Nutter and in turn defame Ms. Peterkin Bell.
51.
Prior to this press conference, Butkovitz had not spoken to either Ms.
Peterkin Bell or Mayor Nutter to inquire about the use of the Fund during this time
period.
11
At the press conference, Butkovitz put up media visuals1; one which was
52.
were:
54.
Peterkin Bell or Mayor Nutter about any of these expenditures and they would have told
him that ever single expenditure from the Marathon Reserves Account satisfied one of
the Mayors five priorities and goals.
55.
One would think that the person to ask about this would be the former
Mayor or even the current mayor since one of these expenditures (My Brothers Keeper)
was for the benefit of the new administration, but Butkovitz did neither because he was
not concerned with the truth, he wanted to score political points.
The fact that the posters displayed during the press conference are referred to as media visuals when
downloaded from the Office of the Controllers website underscores that this was all a dog and pony
media show designed to embarrass Mayor Nutter, elevate Butkovitz and defame Ms. Peterkin Bell as
collateral damage.
12
56.
The point of the press conference was not to further the sham
investigation nor was it to call attention to the misuse of public funds Butkovitz
himself admitted there was no evidence of criminal misconduct it was a political stunt.
And this stunt was not part of Butkovitzs job as Controller, it was designed to make him
look like he was fighting corruption to further his own political ambitions.
57.
Butkovitz, however, took his political stunt too far. Butkovitz turned the
press conference into his private kangaroo court where he made false and defamatory
statements about Ms. Peterkin Bell.
58.
Butkovitz accused Ms. Peterkin Bell of using the Fund to buy shoes at
Macys, implying that it was for her own personal use: I find it absolutely intolerable
the former chairperson used this account to purchase shoes.2
59.
Butkovitz also stepped outside of the parameters set by his own office and
concluded, without factual support, that [i]t was clear the former chairperson
substantially circumvented all policies and approvals.
60.
investigation because the Reserves Account did not function the same way the
Marathon Grant account functioned. This was not something created by Ms. Peterkin
Bell, this was the way the Fund operated. In fact, there are a number of such reserve
accounts operated by different board members that function in the very same way. Of
course, those accounts were not questioned or scrutinized.
61.
Fueled by his own pomposity and wrongly believing that his office would
immunize him from a suit for defamation, Butkovitz took his grand-standing a step
2
If he had cared to inquire, Butkovitz would have learned that the shoes were not purchased for Ms.
Peterkin Bell but for a participant in the Philadelphia Collection, an event designed to promote
Philadelphia as an ideal place to live and work. See infra.
13
Butkovitz admitted the falsity of his statement later in his press conference
Butkovitz further defamed Ms. Peterkin Bell by making the knowingly false
statement that [t]he funding was only approved by Peterkin Bell. Id. Butkovitz
also took to Twitter like a pre-teen to broadcast his slander to his audience of just over
2,000 Twitter followers stating A non-profit status is not a blank check to do anything w/
the money and no documentation and also linked to his radio interview in which he
continued to make slanderous statements.
65.
Butkovitzs Twitter lies and radio interviews are not part of his official
duties as Controller; these are personal musings arising out of ego and personal
ambition.
14
66.
In the Report put together after the sham investigation, it states that
Checks written in the amount of $5,000 or more require two signatures including the
Mayors Fund executive director and the board treasurer. The Executive Director was
Del Bianco the person who signed the checks for the expenditures that Butkovitz
disingenuously cited as Raiding the Reserves.
67.
Moreover, of the expenditures cited by Butkovitz, the only one that was
solely attributable to Ms. Peterkin Bell was the $80 charge for shoes at Macys. That
charge was made to Ms. Peterkin Bells credit card3 connected to the Fund in support of
the The Philadelphia Collection, a series of fashion and style events that the City uses
to highlight retailers, designers, and models, which takes place throughout the year, but
culminates over the course of one week. The expenditure was for a pair of shoes for a
participant in The Philadelphia Collection. This expenditure satisfied the Mayors goal of
Place of Choice, i.e. marketing Philadelphia through cultural events as an ideal place
to live and work.
68.
Further, to the extent the charge did not meet that goal (it did), Ms.
Peterkin Bell did not circumvent the policies and proposals of the Fund because the
charge still had to be approved by Del Bianco, which it was.
69.
The accusation that Ms. Peterkin Bell circumvented the policies and
Ms. Peterkin Bell was only one of the individuals (Del Bianoc had one) with a credit card linked to the
Fund; a fact which was known to both Butkovitz and Del Bianco, which further underscores their actual
malice.
15
70.
protect her job by appearing to blow the whistle, Del Bianco falsely stated that the
spending she authorized wasnt appropriate in support of the mayors policies and
procedures. Id. This was a knowingly false statement because it was Del Bianco who
approved the expenditures and cut the checks or paid the credit card bills.
71.
Ms. Peterkin Bell committed a crime, stole money and/or was otherwise dishonest in her
job.
72.
supported his policies, so Del Biancos statement that the expenditures were not
appropriate is false, defamatory, and designed to portray Ms. Peterkin Bell in a false
light and to disparage her personal and professional reputation.
73.
So, why would Del Bianco, the person in charge of signing the checks for
these expenditures, raise this as an issue after she had signed the checks after the new
administration took over? Because she is trying to appear as if she is blowing the
whistle to give herself an insurance policy in the event the new administration is looking
to clean house. As a purported whistleblower, she can sue for retaliation if she loses
her job down the road. By complaining of what would essentially be her own
wrongdoing, Del Bianco is trying to make it impossible for the new administration to fire
her.
74.
Del Bianco could have gone to the Finance Director to whom she reported
(and was also a member of the Funds Board) to discuss these matters of purported
concern. Del Bianco could have also addressed her concerns with the Chief Integrity
16
Officer, a position solely created by Mayor Nutter to increase faith in government and
transparency. Del Bianco could have also gone to the Inspector General the office of
an independent investigatory arm of city government. And, if Del Bianco was
uncomfortable about raising these issues with those individuals (for whatever reason)
but she continued to have genuine questions and concerns, as she now claims, she, as
the Executive Director, could have brought all of the purportedly questioned
expenditures (which she had approved and paid) to the attention of the Funds Board.
Butkovitz Apparently Has a History of Antagonism Towards Former Mayor Nutter
and Defamed Ms. Peterkin Bell to Advance His Petty Battle
75.
At some point Butkovitz decided that the best way for him to garner
publicity was to attack and criticize former Mayor Nutter and one of his top aides.
76.
Mayor Nutter in the press for missing a gas bill. Butkovitz released a report that same
year criticizing the Citys security cameras and Mayor Nutters handling of reforms to the
Sherriffs office.
77.
A month before Mayor Nutter left office, Butkovitz accused the former
Mayor of stubbornness for Mayor Nutters brownout policy for the Philadelphia Fire
Department.
17
79.
With Mayor Nutter out of office, Butkovitz can call press conferences like
the one on August 16th and misuse his public office to criticize the former Mayor and to
defame individuals like Ms. Peterkin Bell, who is nothing more than collateral damage
from his defamatory bombs.
80.
publications and the news media picked up Butkovitzs comments about Ms. Peterkin
Bell, running headlines like City Controller: Nutter Aide Used Nonprofit Like a Slush
Fund. See Maria McGeary, City Controller: Nutter Aide Used Nonprofit Like a Slush
Fund, PHILA. MAG., August 16, 2016, available online at
http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2016/08/16/alan-butkovitz-michael-nutter-slush-fund/
(last accessed August 24, 2016). Or Philly Official Likens Ex-Mayors Nonprofit to
Slush Fund. See Philly Official Likens Ex-Mayors Nonprofit to Slush Fund, CHRONICLE
OF PHILANTHROPY,
The slander was so widely reported that Runners World picked up the
story. See Christopher Michel, Marathon Revenue Used as Slush Fund, Report Says,
RUNNERS W ORLD, August 16, 2016, available online at
http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/marathon-revenue-used-as-slush-fundreport-says (last accessed August 24, 2016).
18
COUNT I
(DEFAMATION)
83.
Ms. Peterkin Bell incorporates each and every allegation set forth above
mischaracterizations identified herein above were false and made by Defendants with
knowledge of their falsity or with a reckless disregard for their truth or falsity.
85.
mischaracterizations identified herein were made to various news outlets with the intent
to broadcast and publicize those misstatements to the widest possible audience to
maximize the harm to Ms. Peterkin Bells reputation.
86.
mischaracterizations identified herein were widely published and circulated among and
read by Ms. Peterkin Bells family, clients, neighbors, colleagues, friends, and
prospective clients.
87.
mischaracterizations identified herein ascribe to Ms. Peterkin Bell certain conduct and
character that adversely affects her business, trade and profession.
88.
mischaracterizations identified herein been brought Ms. Peterkin Bell into scandal and
reproach, and she has been held up to odium, scorn and contempt among her
neighbors, business acquaintances, and other good citizens, and is suspected by them
to have been guilty of some type of crime, fraudulent practice, self-dealing, impropriety,
19
and ethical violations. As a result Ms. Peterkin Bell has suffered in her business, her
personal and professional reputation, her feelings and peace of mind, all to her great
financial loss and damage.
89.
Defendants each acted with actual malice in making the statements about
Ms. Peterkin Bell identified herein, which were false and were made with knowledge of
their falsity and/or with reckless disregard of their truth or falsity.
90.
91.
Ms. Peterkin Bell and lowered her in the estimation of the community, humiliated her,
and caused her to suffer mental anguish.
92.
reckless conduct set forth above, Ms. Peterkin Bell is entitled to damages that will
compensate her for the injury to her professional and personal reputation, for her
emotional distress, and punitive damages to punish Defendants for their conduct and to
deter such conduct in the future.
93.
of the Defendants deliberate, reckless and outrageous conduct set forth above.
Ms. Peterkin Bell also seeks a public apology from Defendants.
WHEREFORE, it is respectfully requested that this Honorable Court grant
judgment in favor of Plaintiff Desiree Peterkin Bell in an amount substantially in excess
of the jurisdictional limit of $50,000, compensatory and punitive damages, delay
damages, attorneys fees, costs and interest, together with any further relief which this
Court deems just and appropriate under the circumstances.
20
COUNT II
(FALSE LIGHT)
94.
Ms. Peterkin Bell incorporates each and every allegation set forth above
mischaracterizations identified herein above were false and made by Defendants with
knowledge of their falsity or with a reckless disregard for their truth or falsity.
96.
mischaracterizations identified herein were made to various news outlets with the intent
to broadcast and publicize those misstatements to the widest possible audience to
maximize the harm to Ms. Peterkin Bells reputation.
97.
mischaracterizations identified herein were widely published and circulated among and
read by Ms. Peterkin Bells family, clients, neighbors, colleagues, friends, and
prospective clients.
98.
mischaracterizations identified herein ascribe to Ms. Peterkin Bell certain conduct and
character that adversely affects her business, trade and profession.
99.
mischaracterizations identified herein have brought Ms. Peterkin Bell into scandal and
reproach, and she has been held up to odium, scorn and contempt among her
21
neighbors, business acquaintances, and other good citizens, and is suspected by them
to have been guilty of some type of crime, fraudulent practice, self-dealing, impropriety,
and ethical violations. As a result Ms. Peterkin Bell has suffered in her business, her
personal and professional reputation, her feelings and peace of mind, all to her great
financial loss and damage.
101.
Defendants each acted with actual malice in making the statements about
Ms. Peterkin Bell identified herein, which were false and were made with knowledge of
their falsity and/or with reckless disregard of their truth or falsity.
102.
103.
Ms. Peterkin Bell and lowered her in the estimation of the community, humiliated her,
and caused her to suffer mental anguish.
104.
reckless conduct set forth above, Ms. Peterkin Bell is entitled to damages that will
compensate her for the injury to her professional and personal reputation, for her
emotional distress, and punitive damages to punish Defendants for their conduct and to
deter such conduct in the future.
105.
of the Defendants deliberate, reckless and outrageous conduct set forth above.
Ms. Peterkin Bell also seeks a public apology from Defendants.
WHEREFORE, it is respectfully requested that this Honorable Court grant
judgment in favor of Plaintiff Desiree Peterkin Bell in an amount substantially in excess
of the jurisdictional limit of $50,000, compensatory and punitive damages, delay
22
damages, attorneys fees, costs and interest, together with any further relief which this
Court deems just and appropriate under the circumstances.
Count III
(Injurious Falsehood or Disparagement)
106.
Ms. Peterkin Bell incorporates each and every allegation set forth above
mischaracterizations identified herein above were false and made by Defendants with
knowledge of their falsity or were made without a basis for knowledge or belief as to
whether they were true or false.
108.
mischaracterizations identified herein were made to various news outlets with the intent
to broadcast and publicize those misstatements to the widest possible audience to
maximize the harm to Ms. Peterkin Bells reputation.
109.
mischaracterizations identified herein were widely published and circulated among and
read by Ms. Peterkin Bells family, clients, neighbors, colleagues, friends, and
prospective clients.
110.
mischaracterizations identified herein ascribe to Ms. Peterkin Bell certain conduct and
character that adversely affects her business, trade and profession.
111.
mischaracterizations identified herein were motivated by ill will toward Ms. Peterkin Bell
23
and/or with the intent to interfere with Ms. Peterkin Bells personal and professional
interests and relationships.
112.
mischaracterizations were made with the knowledge that the statements would result in
financial harm to Ms. Peterkin Bell.
113.
mischaracterizations identified herein been brought Ms. Peterkin Bell into scandal and
reproach, and she has been held up to odium, scorn and contempt among her
neighbors, business acquaintances, and other good citizens, and is suspected by them
to have been guilty of some type of crime, fraudulent practice, self-dealing, impropriety,
and ethical violations. As a result Ms. Peterkin Bell has suffered in her business, her
personal and professional reputation, her feelings and peace of mind, all to her great
financial loss and damage.
114.
Defendants each acted with actual malice in making the statements about
Ms. Peterkin Bell identified herein, which were false and were made with knowledge of
their falsity and/or with reckless disregard of their truth or falsity.
115.
116.
Ms. Peterkin Bell and lowered her in the estimation of the community, humiliated her,
and caused her to suffer mental anguish.
117.
reckless conduct set forth above, Ms. Peterkin Bell is entitled to damages that will
compensate her for the injury to her professional and personal reputation, for her
24
Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
1. Procedure Performed
The Controllers Office (1) made inquiries of key personnel and observed how
transactions were processed to gain an understanding of policies and control
activities adopted by the Mayors Fund for grant award and disbursements; (2)
ascertained, through inquiries and observations, whether these same policies
and control activities had been implemented for expenses funded with
Marathon Reserves; and (3) compared the policies and control activities
against best practices to offer recommendations for observed deficiencies.
Inquiries we made included:
Exhibit 3