Council members call for background check review after former Pittsburgh city worker charged

PITTSBURGH — Calls for change after an 11 Investigates Exclusive report Monday night that revealed that a city of Pittsburgh contract worker facing ethnic intimidation charges in Pittsburgh was arrested by police in Ohio two years ago, just months before he began working for the city of Pittsburgh.

Some City Council members are calling for a review of the hiring process, including background checks after 11 Investigates reported that a city contract worker was on probation when he allegedly committed another crime.

>> Internal emails detail communications with former city worker accused of ethnic intimidation

Mario Ashkar was on probation for disorderly conduct in Ohio when police say he allegedly spray painted antisemitic writings on a sidewalk on the North Side in front of the home of a Jewish woman and tore down an Israeli flag last month.

>> Pittsburgh man charged with ethnic intimidation for allegedly damaging Israeli flag

Chief Investigator Rick Earle questioned City Councilmember Erika Strassburger, Finance Committee chair.

Earle: Was there a background check? Did they (the city) know about this? Did he tell them?

Strassburger: It looks like we certainly need to increase, tighten up our background checks.

11 Investigates broke the story Monday night that Ashkar was arrested and charged with obstructing official business and possession of marijuana after a traffic stop in Columbiana, Ohio two years ago.

Police say he refused repeated requests to get out of the car and had to be pulled out.

Two months after his arrest, he started working as a full-time employee for the city in the Public Safety department, as a Special Events Coordinator.

Six months into the job, he was fired for missing work and poor performance, according to sources.

Five months later, he was rehired by the same city that fired him to work in the Dept. of Parks and Recreation, assisting with the Farmer’s market.

City Controller Rachael Heisler launched an investigation after discovering that Ashkar had been paid with a city credit card through Paypal to the account of “Princess Jafar.”

>> City of Pittsburgh accused of improperly paying former city employee turned contractor

Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak admitted that was a mistake made by Parks and Rec and he said it would be rectified.

But when Controller Heisler requested more information from the Mayor’s office to complete her investigation, the Administration declined to provide her with the information.

Instead, Mayor Ed Gainey said he was sending all of the information about Ashkar’s hiring and pay to the Office of Municipal Investigations.

Heisler then accused the administration of a lack of cooperation and a lack of transparency.

Councilman Bobby Wilson of the North Side said both sides need to come together.

“I’m looking for a better relationship between the Mayor and the Controller, something more you know, a working relationship,” said Wilson.

Councilmembers are scheduled to meet separately with the Mayor’s office and Controller on Wednesday to learn more about Ashkar.

Among their questions is what work did he do for the city? Who hired him and why was he paid through a city credit card? Why was he rehired by the city as a contractor after he was fired from the city?

“I look forward to learning more about the process and I would hope the administration would be a good partner and cooperate,” said Khari Mosley, a council member who represents part of the East End.

Ashkar pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct in Ohio and was ordered to pay a fine, perform community service and undergo an evaluation.

He’s still awaiting a preliminary hearing on the ethnic intimidation charges.

He has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

He no longer works for the city.

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