Two political power brokers have left the reputable legal firm McNees, Wallace & Nurick, one of whom was implicated in dubious contracts with Dauphin County.
A company representative confirmed Tuesday that Mike Musser II and David Feidt are no longer working for McNees Government Relations, the legal firm’s political consulting division.
The firm’s political insiders’ reasons for leaving, as well as whether they resigned or were fired, were not disclosed by the spokeswoman. As of Monday night, they were no longer mentioned on the McNees Government Relations website’s staff page.
The announcement was made soon after Musser, a well-known figure in Dauphin County politics, came under fire for contracts he and his business had with local governments and county organizations, including one that was financed by a grant program he assists in managing.
PennLive’s requests for comment were not immediately answered by Musser or Feidt.
When the newly merged company opened in October, Musser—a well-connected politician who began his career as secretary-treasurer of Steelton Borough—was appointed president of McNees Government Relations. Additionally, he worked on the campaigns of former Dauphin County Commissioners Mike Pries and Jeff Haste, both of whom were Republicans, as well as Democrat George Hartwick, who collaborated with Musser while he was mayor of Steelton.
Feidt is the chairman of the Dauphin County Republican Committee and was once the vice president of McNees Government Relations. He was Musser’s second in command, but he hasn’t been linked to any scandals in public.
Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas, a Democrat, criticized Musser in November for a number of lucrative contracts he had with county agencies, including a consulting deal with Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, the county’s designated tourism bureau, which has brought in $870K for his company since 2012.
The next week, Steelton Borough Mayor Ciera Dent demanded a forensic assessment of the borough’s finances, pointing to old and ongoing contracts, including those with the engineering firm Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, McNees, Wallace & Nurick, and Musser as consultants. The audit will be put to a vote by the borough council on Thursday.
Swatara Township authorities joined the outcry in early December, announcing that they are seeking legal advice to examine contracts and funding for an infrastructure project that might have been influenced by Musser and former Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste, who has also been involved in a number of recent debates regarding possible conflicts of interest.
Douglas disclosed during a public hearing last Wednesday that Musser had a consulting agreement with the Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority, which is financed by a county gaming grant that is paid for with the profits from the casino. The county’s Industrial Development Authority pays Musser $5,000 per month to oversee the same gaming grant scheme.
A day later, the Redevelopment Authority said it would hire new employees to complete the work internally and canceled both of its contracts with Musser.
Musser’s agreement to manage the IDA’s gaming grant program, which distributes millions of dollars annually, is still in effect. Additionally, the county’s Economic Development Corporation still employs him and his business to help manage the Dauphin County Housing and Rehabilitation Program.
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Juliette Rihl
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