HUD questions Street’s votes in PHA contracts

Former Philadelphia Mayor John Street faces investigation for his votes as chairman of the Philadelphia Housing Authority to award millions of dollars in contracts to the law firm his son worked for between 2004 – 2008, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.      “Chairman Street’s approval of contracts to the law firm that employed his son is an exceptionally distasteful conflict of interest. Our investigation on this issue continues,” said General Michael P. Stephens, HUD Inspector said in a written statement in response to an audit released Thursday.   In response to approving the contracts, Street told the Inquirer last month that he signed a written waiver from HUD that allowed him to vote on the PHA contracts.  Street or his son have not responded to questions about this latest probe.For full story, read the reporting of Mark Fazlollah and Jennifer Lin of the Philadelphia Inquirer.