Attorney Mark Schwartz Takes Himself Out

The sensational and eccentric character of the City of Harrisburg’s legal proceedings has filed a withdrawal of appearance in Commonwealth Court.

Attorney Mark Schwartz has declared since he hasn’t been paid anything at all, he will no longer act as counsel for City Council President Wanda Williams, City Controller Dan Miller, and City Treasurer John Campbell. Now it’s up to the Judge to decide to release him or not.

Most famous for his facilitation of the October 2011 Chapter 9 Municipal Bankruptcy filing by City Council, Schwartz has stood in Court on behalf of Harrisburg elected officials not only in that particular and other Federal proceedings, but also in State proceedings related to the State-takeover of the City and so much of what has come with it.

Apparently, despite budget allocations of $40,000, City Council has yet to pay Schwartz anything for his services. In January 2012, with a legal bill from Schwartz totaling $90,000 for his bankruptcy representation, Council declared it could pay no more than the $40,000 it allocated. Four months later, in order to have representation at Receiver William Lynch’s appointment hearing, City Council hired Schwartz once more and capped that service at $10,000. In his letter to City Council President Wanda Williams announcing his refusal to work without pay, Schwartz does not cite the total amount due to him.

With a major hearing week, does this mean that City Council will have no legal representation at the July 25th Commonwealth Court hearing on the Receiver’s request for Writ of Mandamus to make the Councilors raise the Earned Income Tax on City residents? Not necessarily. Word on the horizon is that something is in the works. Stay tuned.

 

Read Mark Schwartz’s Motion to Withdraw and his letter to City Council President: Commonwealth Court Withdrawal Motion