Authorities are not investigating the City of Bethlehem or any other city employees in connection with a multi-state grand jury investigation into drug distribution which saw a city employee — who’s also a Lehigh County commissioner — arrested last week, Bethlehem officials said at a council meeting Tuesday.
City officials provided few other details because court documents are still sealed, as the task force investigation still is ongoing.
“I am not going to share details more than what has been revealed by the prosecutor,” said John Spirk, Bethlehem city solicitor. “There is however one thing I have been authorized by the prosecutor to state: There is no ongoing investigation of the City of Bethlehem or its officers, officials, employees, City Council members, there is no ongoing investigation of that, and I have been authorized to say that much.”
Zach Cole-Borghi of Bethlehem, a Lehigh County commissioner and Bethlehem’s Right-to-Know officer, was charged with possession of a pound of marijuana with intent to distribute, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said during a news conference Friday.
Holihan said officials executed 26 search warrants Thursday and seized more than $100,000 in cash, more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, cocaine, pills and at least 25 firearms. The investigation spanned four states — Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Cole-Borghi was arrested at City Hall on Aug. 28 and brought out of the building in handcuffs, prompting rumors and speculation, City Council members said. He is free after posting $50,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday was continued; a new date has not yet been set, court officials said.
The city’s only official statement on Cole-Borghi’s arrest was a sentence from Human Resources Director Michelle Cihocki, which said that Cole-Borghi is no longer employed by the city.
City officials have made no further comment about the arrest on advice of their lawyers, because any comments about Cole-Borghi’s employment could be used against them in future litigation, Mayor J. William Reynolds said.
“As far as why I did not have more to say personally, it is because [lawyers] told me I should not make any comments,” Reynolds said.
Some City Council members felt that the city should have informed them before Cole-Borghi’s arrest, and said they found out about it at the same time as the general public when news outlets reported the story.
“We are a branch of government, I may be wrong, but I feel strongly as branch of government, we should have been informed of this, I should not have to read it in the paper or hear it from hearsay from people,” said council member Grace Crampsie Smith.
Reynolds said that the city “did not have the information” about the investigation’s findings before Cole-Borghi’s arrest, and found out more details after the district attorney’s news conference Friday.
According to a news release from Lehigh County’s district attorney, at least 16 law enforcements agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Bethlehem Police Department. Police Chief Michelle Kott said she is not allowed to disclose when the city’s police department became involved.
Cole-Borghi, a Democrat, was first elected as Lehigh County commissioner in 2021, representing District 3 — encompassing Catasauqua, Fountain Hill, Hanover Township, the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem and part of Allentown. He’s up for re-election this year.
Lehigh County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday on the status of Cole-Borghi’s position on the board.
Staff writer Daniel Patrick Sheehan contributed to this report.
