The FOP Has Put Up Anti–Seth Williams Billboards
John McNesby and Seth Williams. | Photos by AP
Telling the Inquirer his union was willing to spend an “unlimited amount of resources” in the Democratic primary against Seth Williams, FOP Lodge 5 head John McNesby has begun a campaign against the incumbent district attorney.
Yesterday, a billboard showed up on I-95 between Bridge Street and Cottman Avenue: “HELP WANTED: NEW PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY,” it read. “PLEASE CONTACT FOP LODGE #5.” McNesby says the FOP will put up at least six billboards calling for Williams’s ouster.
.@FOX29philly FOP places Help Wanted for Philadelphia District Attorney billboard I-95.DA Williams:No Comment#fox29 pic.twitter.com/4ParFoAxQC
— Dave Schratwieser (@DSchratwieser) January 18, 2017
The billboard push comes just days after Williams agreed to the largest ethics fine in city history. The FOP has also begun to distribute anti–Seth Williams lawn signs.
The FOP and Williams clashed earlier this year when Williams declined to charge a 16-year-old girl after an altercation with a police officer. Last year, Williams declined to prosecute LeSean McCoy after a bar fight with off-duty police officers at Recess, a club in Old City.
“It has been very disappointing over the past seven years watching a once promising District Attorney degenerate into a morally and ethically sideline playboy,” McNesby wrote at the time. “Philadelphia’s citizens and Philadelphia Police definitely deserve better.”
At that time, Williams fired back in a statement:
“District Attorney Williams will never apologize for relying on high investigative and prosecutorial standards before deciding to take away someone’s freedom. And it’s stunning that anyone, much less a member of law enforcement, would ever believe anything else. Mr. McNesby’s comments seem to miss the fact that the District Attorney has prosecuted more police officers than his past two predecessors combined. The District Attorney believes that everyone should be treated the same and held to the same standards regardless of if they are a police officer or not.”
The FOP says it hasn’t decided on a candidate to endorse in the Democratic primary for attorney general yet.