Mayor dodges ethics attacks

There comes a time in every young mayor’s life when he must realize that flying off to… There comes a time in every young mayor’s life when he must realize that flying off to Manhattan for drinks with the owner of one of his city’s major sports teams, and then lying about it, is not a good idea.

Such was the case for Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl this week after reports surfaced that he accepted a free trip on a private plane to Manhattan from Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the pair took the trip along with National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, his deputy Bill Daly and Ravenstahl’s friend, Kevin Kinross, the deputy director of Gov. Ed Rendell’s southwest state office. It occurred on March 13, just hours after Ravenstahl joined Gov. Rendell and County Chief Executive Dan Onorato to announce the $290 million plan for a new arena that will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

Ravenstahl has adamantly denied any reports of ethical violations or foul play, stating that the trip was “a good opportunity for [him and Burkle] to get to know each other better,” after months of negotiations that were centered on keeping the Pens in Pittsburgh.

While the ethical parameters are gray, it appears that Raventstahl did not violate the city’s code of conduct, which states that an elected official “shall not solicit or accept from an interested party