The Philadelphiqa Inquirer is reporting on the HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson’s Philly scandal (not to be confused with Jackson’s NOLA and Virgin Islands scandals). To recap–Jackson is alleged to have pressured the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) to transfer land at a big discount to friend Kenny Gamble and then retaliated against the PHA by threatening to withhold millions of dollars in federal aid when PHA did not do as Jackson wanted. Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit against HUD.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has confirmed that Jackson called Philadelphia’s mayor on behalf of his friend Gamble…

In court filings, Carl Greene, PHA’s executive director, says
Jackson, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development,
called Mayor John Street twice to lobby on Gamble’s behalf.

HUD confirmed yesterday that Jackson, a friend of Gamble’s, had
made the calls to Street. It denied it had in any way retaliated
against the Philadelphia agency.

And here is why these scandals matter…because real people, many real people, can and will get hurt…

In the federal suit, filed in December, Greene contends that HUD is threatening to impose new controls on
how Philadelphia spends millions in federal housing grants as payback
for Greene’s refusal to help Gamble.

Greene said the federal crackdown could force PHA to lay off
hundreds of workers, raise rents, and halt millions of dollars in
construction work on low-income housing.