Media Borough Council coup d’état: What about Bob?
Aug 31
Part 5 of 7: Outlining the recent changes in Media Borough Council. (Part 1: Introduction, Part 2: Ms. Rehoric, Part 3: Ms. Roe, Part 4: Mr. Alyanakian, Part 5: Mr. Cunningham)
Mr. Alyanakian and Mr. Cunningham implicated Mayor Bob McMahon in the “coup,” specifically:
- Mr. Alyanakian indicated that his choice to take the position over was prompted by the Mayor asking him whom he would support
- Mr. Cunningham: In the past “the Mayor’s fingerprints have been all over it …“
At the time of the July vote, Bob McMahon expressed that he had no knowledge of any plans to oust to Mr. Williamson when the vote came about.
After Mr. Alyanakian answered direct questions from the public, this conversation occurred:
Alyanakian: Did Ms. Rehoric or Ms. Roe receive calls from the mayor asking who would they support … for president if Mr. Williamson decided to not continue?
McMahon: (Pointing to Ms. Rehoric) You got a call Saturday night after you made the decision and that was the first time … it was Saturday before the council meeting …
Rehoric: Actually it was Friday night. It was the night before Bastille Day.
McMahon: Alright, Friday night. I was surprised by what you said.
Rehoric: I was surprised by your question.
McMahon: You had already made the decision at that point.
Simpson: I didn’t get a call, did you Councilman Williamson? Did you, Councilman Stein?
Williamson: No.
Stein: No.
McMahon: We had had a previous conversation about this … and it was Saturday.
Rehoric: No … it was Friday night. I know where I was I know what I was doing, and I know when I got the call… and I was surprised that you would call and ask a ques… actually you called and asked me what time we were supposed to meet for the Bastille Day celebration.
McMahon: That’s the reason I called.
Rehoric: That is the reason you called… so I know it was that Friday previous to Saturday night.
McMahon: Was Ms. Roe with you at that time?
Rehoric: Yes. Because we were having a glass of wine together.
Later in the meeting, Bob McMahon made a statement unequivocally endorsing Peter Williamson as the only choice for Borough Council President.
So, given the above conversation and the implied involvement of Mayor Bob McMahon, I spoke with him on August 24th and asked for an explanation of his calls to Mr. Alyanakian and Ms. Rehoric:
Part of my job as Mayor is to look ahead and plan. In June, I thought there may be a risk that Peter [Williamson] may step down, after a particularly difficult meeting where he seemed exhausted… I assumed it would be a tie, and that there was no clear person who could take over [for Mr. Williamson], and I would be the tie-breaker.
He continued:
Pete Alyanakian is the last person I would support for Borough Council President. Last election for Mayor, he ran an ad which implied I was basically welcoming sex offenders to Media. He was taking Megan’s Law and turning it into a campaign issue…
He then referred to the then to-be-published Daily Times article where he said:
Peter Williamson is the only choice for Borough Council President.
I also spoke with Peter Williamson, who stated that Bob McMahon is not the type of person to attempt to manipulate Borough Council in this way, and expressed his belief that the Mayor was acting innocently.