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Ravenstahl Grilled Over Police Cmdr. Case
POSTED: 5:54 pm EST January 11,
2007
UPDATED: 11:51 am EST January 12,
2007
PITTSBURGH -- Since ascending from council president to the mayor's office when Bob O'Connor died, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has embraced the role of carrying on the late mayor's legacy and team.But controversy over O'Connor confidant Dennis Regan's alleged actions now has Ravenstahl distancing himself from Regan.Police Cmdr. Catherine McNeilly was reinstated on Wednesday after being demoted for what she claimed was improper discipline for speaking out against the nomination of Regan for public safety director.
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Federal Judge Donetta Ambrose wrote that McNeilly's whistleblower case concerned "allegations of wrongdoing and undue influence by officials in the mayor's office in police department matters."McNeilly sent an e-mail about Regan to City Council members, claiming that Regan had tried to interfere with police disciplinary action against an officer who is the brother of Regan's housemate. Attached to the e-mail was a confidential memo.Regan resigned from his position as the city's operations director after the McNeilly story broke, but he always denied McNeilly's allegations, and an investigation ordered by Ravenstahl found that Regan had done nothing wrong."He worked for Mayor O'Connor, and Mayor O'Connor gave him the ability and authority to do what he felt was appropriate," said Ravenstahl. "Most of these actions and allegations took place under Mayor O'Connor. When Dennis Regan worked for me, he worked for me, and no longer does. Understand that when you walk into a mayor's office like I did, under the situation that I did and under circumstances that I did, that it takes time to get to know and understand the actions that have taken place."Ravenstahl said he would not call Regan "exonerated," but he doesn't believe there was wrongdoing."I believe that the mayor's office acted appropriately throughout this endeavor," Ravenstahl said. "It's not uncommon for the mayor's office to have interaction with the police department or with any department. And that's what took place. And no rules or any violations were broken in that regard."McNeilly is set to return to her post starting Monday.
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Federal Judge Donetta Ambrose wrote that McNeilly's whistleblower case concerned "allegations of wrongdoing and undue influence by officials in the mayor's office in police department matters."McNeilly sent an e-mail about Regan to City Council members, claiming that Regan had tried to interfere with police disciplinary action against an officer who is the brother of Regan's housemate. Attached to the e-mail was a confidential memo.Regan resigned from his position as the city's operations director after the McNeilly story broke, but he always denied McNeilly's allegations, and an investigation ordered by Ravenstahl found that Regan had done nothing wrong."He worked for Mayor O'Connor, and Mayor O'Connor gave him the ability and authority to do what he felt was appropriate," said Ravenstahl. "Most of these actions and allegations took place under Mayor O'Connor. When Dennis Regan worked for me, he worked for me, and no longer does. Understand that when you walk into a mayor's office like I did, under the situation that I did and under circumstances that I did, that it takes time to get to know and understand the actions that have taken place."Ravenstahl said he would not call Regan "exonerated," but he doesn't believe there was wrongdoing."I believe that the mayor's office acted appropriately throughout this endeavor," Ravenstahl said. "It's not uncommon for the mayor's office to have interaction with the police department or with any department. And that's what took place. And no rules or any violations were broken in that regard."McNeilly is set to return to her post starting Monday.
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