Shouting Match Erupts At McKeesport Council Meeting Over Swearing-In Controversy
McKEESPORT (KDKA) -- The McKeesport City Council held its first meeting of the New Year Monday night, but before any business could be conducted, the meeting was abruptly adjourned when a shouting match erupted.
It all started because a newly-elected councilman was not permitted to take the oath of office with three other new council members.
Corey Sanders was elected last November, but McKeesport Solicitor J. Jason Elash read a letter from District Attorney Stephen Zappala.
Zappala wrote: "Mr. Sanders is constitutionally ineligible to hold public office. Mr. Zappala advised Mr. Sanders of the fact and further advised him that in order to hold public office he would need to seek a full pardon from the governor."
Sanders pleaded "no contest" to felony drug charges nearly two decades ago and served jail time.
Elash said Sanders has hired a lawyer and has already petitioned the governor for a pardon.
Sanders supporters argued that several other city officials have had legal issues in recent years, and no one ever tried to bar them from taking office.
Pastor Erlene Coleman, of the Bethlehem Baptist Church, told KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti after the meeting was adjourned, "'Sanders has] changed his life. He owns a home in the city, he has a family, he's a deacon. He's changed his life completely. So why are we putting things that happened back in 1993… still carrying them on his shoulder?"
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On Monday afternoon, knowing the swearing-in ceremony would become an issue at the city council meeting, Sanders was sworn-in downtown.
When asked why he took that step, Sanders said, "Because I knew I wasn't going to get it here [at the council meeting']."
McKeesport City Councilwoman Fawn Walker-Montgomery said, "I think it's disgraceful we live in a city that would rather spend their time pursuing their own political agenda, and use their power to get people out of office."
