Police union buys ‘help wanted’ billboard in battle with DA

PHILADELPHIA >> Philadelphia’s police union has purchased a “Help Wanted” billboard that says the city is ready for a new district attorney.

The billboard erected Wednesday at a city avenue near Interstate 95 is the latest salvo in a war of words between the Fraternal Order of Police and District Attorney Seth Williams.

Williams declined comment on the billboard just days after agreeing to pay $62,000 to settle Philadelphia Board of Ethics claims that he failed to disclose gifts and sources of income and accepted gifts barred by the city ethics code.

“If it would have been any other city employee, they would have been fired,” union president John McNesby said of the ethics charges.

The $62,000 ethics fine was the largest imposed by the board in its 10 years of operation and stemmed from Williams failure to disclose nearly $160,000 worth of gifts — including home repairs, airfare and lodgings for vacations — before he amended financial disclosure forms for the years 20102015 in August.

In settling the ethics case with the fine, the board also found nearly $16,000 worth of additionally unreported gifts, the agency announced.

Williams, a Democrat, apologized and vowed to “work every day” to earn back the “trust and respect” of family, friends, supporters and government officials.