Law firm suing Harrisburg helped city just months earlier
Headline News
A well-known law firm that helped sue Harrisburg for millions actually gave the city a hand not too long ago. Ballard Spahr, now representing one of Harrisburg's lenders, did work for the Thompson administration just months earlier. That's raising some eyebrows.
Ballard Spahr, former Gov. Ed Rendell's firm, got thousands from the city. It's now trying to force Harrisburg to pay up on incinerator debt. Some say it's a conflict of interest - that the firm helped the city, and now is helping a bank go after the city.
Harrisburg paid Ballard Spahr more than $13,000 for work performed last year. According to a purchase order, it was a provision of legal services for the new administration. We've not been able to find out exactly what that means, and Ballard Spahr won't comment.
Corky Goldstein doesn't know either - he's currently helping the city with various legal matters.
"Canons of ethics indicate it's not appropriate for a law firm or lawyer or a member of the law firm that represented us to be representing both sides," said Goldstein.
The other side is TD Bank, one of several lenders that financed incinerator upgrades. Harrisburg is on the hook for repayment - $35 million, in this case.
"They might have been privy to information that has assisted them in the lawsuit that they're now bringing, and this is a very major lawsuit," said Goldstein.
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