Radnor Residents File Complaint Against Commissioner Booker

Radnor Second Ward Commissioner Richard Booker has been charged with violating the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, Radnor Ethics Code and Radnor Home Rule Charter in a filing by two Radnor residents, James Bowdre and Douglas McCone. Bowdre (of the Woods neighborhood) and McCone (North Wayne) on Friday filed a complaint with the Radnor Township Ethics Board asking it to investigate Booker for seven ethical conduct violations, and a charge that he violated two sections of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.

The first-term Commissioner is charged with twice interfering with a Radnor Ethics Board investigation of fellow Commissioner Elaine Paul Schaefer by falsely directing the board to stop all proceedings and falsely alleging that the Board of Ethics no longer had the required representative from the Board of Commissioners and could not proceed.

Under the Pennsylvania statute, it is a crime to intentionally obstruct, impair or pervert the administration of law or other governmental function by force, violence, physical interference or obstacle, breach of official duty, or any other unlawful act.

The petition alleges that Booker further told the Board of Ethics that it was required to start its investigation all over again. Ironically, it was Booker himself who filed the complaint against Schaefer in July 2016. Bowdre and McCone allege that Booker’s motive was to prolong the Ethics Board’s investigation of Schaefer to expose her to bad publicity.

Schaefer was exonerated of all charges brought by Booker at the meeting of the Board of Ethics October 12, 2017.

In explaining the filing McCone said, “Booker serves in a position of public trust. It is anathema to good government that he would engage in such unlawful behavior over a protracted period of time—18 months-- and would even stoop to the level of seeking to obstruct the administration of justice by halting the workings of the Township Board of Ethics.”

In one section of the petition, Booker is alleged to have violated Radnor’s Code of Ethics in April 2016 by soliciting the Township Manager to disregard a Township ordinance and remove a stop sign at the intersection of Spruce Tree Lane and Pine Tree Rd. Stop signs may be removed only by ordinance.

In December 2016 Booker directed the police to make for him a special decal, “Radnor Township Commissioner,” that no other Commissioner had, and place it on his vehicle’s side window, according to the petition. The purpose of the decal, which is still on the window, is to persuade police officers not to cite him for traffic or other violation, McCone believes.

A further assertion is that Booker twice, over several months’ time, encouraged and solicited Richard Booker Jr. to have the Radnor Police give him special treatment, as a Commissioner’s son, by waiving the payment of a fee to obtain a police report, also in violation of the Radnor Code of Ethics and Home Rule Charter.

The additional claims in the group of eight are that in April 2016 Booker directed the Township staff to install a stop sign at one location in the Second Ward and remove a stop sign at another site. Under Radnor’s Home Rule Charter, an individual commissioner is prohibited from directing employees to perform duties or acts; only the full Board of Commissioners may do so.

The Board of Ethics will be required to convene and begin an investigation of the charges by taking testimony and receiving evidence.

The complaint is attached.