What happens when a mayor who is elected on a platform of transparency appears on a reality TV show that pulls back the veil on America’s leaders?
In Pittsburgh, perhaps ironically, you end up with a lack of disclosure about where the money is coming from.
According to Mayor Bill Peduto’s office, some 9 million people watched the Sunday broadcast of CBS’ “Undercover Boss,” in which executives work in disguise alongside their employees. Camouflaged in beard and long hair, Mr. Peduto tried his hand at such tasks as hewing trees and hauling trash.
Then, after revealing himself to city workers as their former assistant, he bestowed five-digit sums upon them -- an effort to address life challenges they’d told him about while on the job.
During the broadcast, Mr. Peduto noted that because he couldn’t use tax dollars, “I had to pick up a phone and raise money from friends.” But it’s unclear who they were.
In a statement, the mayor’s office said the money came from “outside sources,” and that up to $155,000 of it would be handled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. “[T]he City is not identifying the outside donors at this time,” the statement added.
That drew criticism from government-transparency advocates, although somewhat reluctantly.
“You’re setting me up to be Scrooge here,” said Barry Kaufmann, executive director of Harrisburg political watchdog group Common Cause Pennsylvania, when called by the Post-Gazette.
“He is probably very well-intentioned,” said Mr. Kaufmann, whose organization gave the mayor a 2012 Champion of Good Government award. “But donors must be identified to make sure they aren’t going to get special treatment in regulatory affairs or contracts.”
Mayoral spokesman Tim McNulty said the city might identify donors in the future, but “We’re still doing fundraising.”
The state’s public-disclosure law generally shields the identity of those who donate to an agency. But there’s an exception when “the donation is intended [to provide] tangible benefit to a named public official or employee.”
“On first blush, the law seems pretty clear,” said Terry Mutchler, executive director of the state’s Office of Open Records. “If the funds were drawn with the idea that people would be contributing to ‘Undercover Boss,’ there is very little room to argue those donors should not be public.”
Two employees featured on the show, carpenter Lawrence Smith and refuse worker James Amend, said they didn’t know who the donors were. “Furthermore, I didn’t ask,” said Mr. Smith.
Mr. Amend received $35,000 for various needs, including an ailing mother. Asked what he’d say to the donors, he answered, “I’d say, ‘Thank you,’ and bless them. It’s rough here in the city.”
Chris Potter: cpotter@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2533