Allentown appoints Pawlowski investigators to investigate discrimination

Scott Curtis speaks at Penn State-Lehigh Valley. Curtis, a retired FBI special agent formerly assigned to the Allentown field office, discussed two high-profile cases, including that of former Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, during a campus presentation on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

The Allentown City Council could vote Wednesday to hire former FBI agent Scott Curtis, who led the investigation into former Mayor Ed Pawlowski’s “pay-to-play” schemes, to investigate alleged workplace discrimination at City Hall.

On the agenda is a resolution to hire FLEO Investigations LLC, owned by Curtis, to conduct the investigation. FLEO Investigations is described on its website as a specialist in investigating “complex and sensitive cases involving fraud, corruption, harassment, discrimination or other crimes and misconduct.” According to Pennsylvania business records, FLEO was incorporated in August.

Curtis is a retired FBI special agent best known for his role in investigating Pawlowski’s public corruption. From 2013 to 2018, Curtis led an FBI investigation into alleged pay-to-play schemes at Allentown City Hall. This involved intercepting electronic communications between city officials, wiretapping co-conspirators who secretly recorded conversations, and searching City Hall and Pawlowski’s home. The investigation uncovered evidence that Allentown officials manipulated the procurement process to favor firms that supported Pawlowski’s campaign for U.S. Senate.

Pawlowski and five co-defendants were charged with pay-to-play contract schemes between 2012 and 2015.

Curtis did not respond to a request for comment.

The planned internal investigation, which the City Council approved last year, will address allegations of discrimination and racism among city employees.

The City Council approved its first investigation into workplace issues last year, prompted by an open letter from the Allentown NAACP detailing some of the allegations. Among other things, it claimed that office managers had verbally attacked black and brown employees and that some police officers had been subjected to racial slurs by their colleagues. The letter specifically accused Mayor Matt Tuerk and other city leaders of ignoring and failing to address reported complaints. Tuerk responded by saying that discrimination would not be tolerated in Allentown.

Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach said a committee consisting of herself and members Ed Zucal and Daryl Hendricks decided to hire Curtis’ firm over two other applicants, which, unlike FLEO Investigations, are law firms.

She said the committee chose FLEO Investigations because of Curtis’ experience investigating misconduct in Allentown.

“All three organizations were overqualified, so it was difficult for me,” Gerlach said. “I would say the committee chose Scott Curtis because of his knowledge of Allentown and the Lehigh Valley, his ability to respond quickly and his understanding of the complexities of administration in Allentown.”

The City Council will vote on the contract on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers. The cost of the contract is not disclosed in the resolution.