Lawyer for two Radnor commissioners pens letter demanding Phil Ahr resign from BOC
RADNOR » A lawyer representing two Radnor Township Commissioners sent a strongly worded letter to disgraced Ward 7 Commissioner Phil Ahr asking that he resign his seat on the townsdhip board of commissioners. The letter, dated Nov. 5, notes that Ahr’s house was raided by Delaware County detectives on Sept. 21 and he was subsequently charged with 130 counts of child pornography possession and distribution and related crimes. Ahr has not attended any township meetings nor been available for township business since then, the letter from attorney Louis Hornstine stated.
“Further, even beyond the issue of the criminal charges currently pending, you have failed to properly serve the people of Radnor Township by abandoning your duties as commissioner of Ward 7,” Hornstine said in the letter. “It is my understanding that you have refused to resign from your office. However, the residents of Radnor Township, Ward 7, are left unrepresented and disenfranchised.” Hornstine attached an online petition with about 200 signatures asking Ahr to “expeditiously resign to remove the cloud over Radnor Township.”
Commissioners Richard Booker and Luke Clark asked Hornstine, who is working pro bono, to help them seek Ahr’s removal from office.
“We think that this is a necessary first step, in our pressing the issue, to have Phil Ahr resign from the Board of Commissioners,” Booker said. “As it is now, he may not resign anytime soon. His preliminary hearing is not until Nov. 30, I’m told. It appears that this issue will linger, unless more pressure is brought to bear. Luke and I are taking action on this, along with the petition that is out there, and commencing the process to press the issue have Ahr resign.”
Booker said the demand letter is “a necessary first step” to “formally request [Ahr’s] resignation.” Other members of the BOC are welcome to join in the process, he said.
“We haven’t had an opportunity to take it to the full board,” said Booker. “At least since Oct. 9, I have been at the forefront of doing everything possible to address the schism in the Board of Commissioners regarding these charges against Phil Ahr.”
A motion by Booker Oct. 9 to ask Ahr to resign as BOC president failed that day, 3-3, along party lines, with Democrats opposing it. Later they noted that Ahr, also a Democrat, had not yet been charged.
Clark said the letter “may or may not work. We’re hoping he can see, with two commissioners taking time out to retain counsel and nearly 200 people signing an online petition, that he should resign…We’re hoping it will help with him voluntarily doing it.”
Booker and Clark, both lawyers themselves, have looked at the law. Because of a state Supreme Court decision it is hard to remove an elected official without a conviction or an act of the state Senate, he said.
But Booker “found some language about abandoning their office and dereliction in their duties that could be grounds for removal. Phil has been off the radar since mid-September,” said Clark.
As to the letter, “You always make a demand and see if litigation can be avoided and we are considering it. Hopefully, this will help him come to the logical and conclusion that he resign,” said Clark.
“The charter says any commissioner can file a petition for removal,” said Clark. “We don’t need board approval. We’re acting in our roles as commissioners. So I think we’re fully within our bounds to do this.”
Ahr, who had stepped down as BOC president after being charged but held onto his seat as Ward 7 commissioner, could not be reached for comment. should