Opposition mailers target Reynolds, Kwiatek candidacies in Bethlehem
A political action committee fueled by an immigration lawyer, a Bethlehem City councilman and a Hotel Bethlehem partner spent nearly $23,000 on opposition mailers targeting the candidacies of Mayor J. William Reynolds and councilwoman Hillary Kwiatek.
PA Local Leaders PAC raised $33,400 between April 1 and May 5, according to a campaign finance report filed with the state. The PAC spent $12,575, leaving $22,825 for the final weeks of the election.
Attorney Raymond Lahoud of Upper Saucon gave $25,000 to the PAC, councilman Bryan Callahan gave $5,000 while his campaign committee Friends of Bryan Callahan contributed $2,000. Hotelier Bruce Haines gave $3,000 and John McGeehan contributed $400.
Reynolds is facing a challenge from councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith in Tuesday’s Democratic primary election. PACs are unaffiliated with the candidates and operate independently. Crampsie Smith did not receive any contributions from PA Local Leaders.
The opposition mailers have given her candidacy a leg up in outreach. While Reynolds had a larger campaign bankroll, campaign finance reports show both spent roughly the same on the election as of May 5 with Reynolds tallying $48,536 to Crampsie Smith’s $46,651.
The mailers, as first reported by The Morning Call, target Reynolds and Kwiatek, in part, over their support of a 2.6% property tax hike in 2024. The vote on the budget was 6-1 with Crampsie Smith being the lone no vote. Callahan was not on council at the time.
Crampsie Smith continues to criticize Reynolds over it. She said it angered her that Reynolds proposed a tax hike while saying the city was in good financial shape. She also said the city still had American Rescue Plan money, which must be spent by 2026. “I said, ‘How can I vote for a tax increase?’” she told Armchair Lehigh Valley in a prior interview. Callahan has expressed similar views on the tax hike.
Reynolds could not be reached for comment. He previously told Armchair Lehigh Valley that the tax hike went toward hiring four new paramedics to handle an increase in emergency calls. It was the first addition of crew since 2007. Reynolds said the hires have improved response times.
He said it’s not good fiscal practice to use one-time sources of money, such as the federal covid money, to cover ongoing costs.
He also noted that Crampsie Smith did not offer any amendments to the budget to address her concerns.
At the time of the December 2023 tax hike vote, Kwiatek was quoted in Lehigh Valley News as saying, “These are things that responsibly have to be paid for on an ongoing basis with sustainable revenues, as we say, and I think that we’re doing the right thing here.”
Kwiatek, who is among six Democrats running in the primary, responded to the mailers on Facebook, calling them “slimy.” She questioned the involvement of Callahan, a fellow Democrat.
On Facebook, Callahan wrote, “I believe in supporting great moderate Democratic candidates to make my hometown the best it can be, and I will continue to do that in the future. Wouldn't you?”
This isn’t the first time Lahoud, who could not be reached for comment, has financed a PAC dedicated to a local election.
Last year, the Republican self-funded PA Citizens PAC with $70,000. Its sole mission was to defeat Easton Councilwoman Taiba Sultana in her bid to unseat fellow Democrat state Rep. Robert Freeman in the 136th District. Freeman won the primary race and was unchallenged in November.