PITTSBURGH — Mayor Ed Gainey posted a video to his social media accounts Thursday afternoon where he called Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala a “racist.”
“I told the DA he’s a racist. I ain’t support the DA,” Gainey said in the video. It was part of a speech to prospective voters.
Two city council members talked to Channel 11 about the video.
“I thought it was disgraceful. I really did. It’s not the type of behavior I want to see out of our mayor. I’ll tell you, I think he needs to apologize. I’ve known Steve Zappala and his family for a long time. I don’t believe he has a racist bone in his body,” Councilman Anthony Coghill said.
Channel 11 also showed the video to Councilman Khari Mosley as he was arriving at a Gainey campaign fundraising event.
“I don’t know if he’s speaking about the overall justice system, as we know the justice system hasn’t been fair. I haven’t had the same dealings with the district attorney. I would have to talk to the mayor to get a better sense to see where he was directing that comment from. He said he said it directly to the district attorney, so it’s something he clearly feels strongly about,” Mosley said.
Gainey was in attendance, and before heading in, we asked him for a comment. He said he would talk after but left before that happened.
We did receive a statement from the Gainey campaign saying:
“It’s no secret the Mayor and many, many Western PA Democrats have long disapproved of the DA’s actions — and campaigned with Democratic nominee Matt Dugan over him. At a time where Trump is rolling back civil rights protections cheered on by white supremacists, Democrats can’t be afraid to call a spade a spade and stand up for the constitutional rights of our constituents.”
The district attorney’s office sent Channel 11 the following response to Gainey’s remarks:
“The District Attorney has too many important matters to be distracted by the mayor’s failing administration; and apparently a badly failing campaign. One point of clarification, the conversation Mr. Gainey refers to with the DA, never happened.”
The City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee also released a statement:
The City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee strongly denounces Mayor Ed Gainey’s public remarks labeling Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala as a racist. These baseless accusations represent a reckless attempt to smear a dedicated public servant and undermine the integrity of our justice system for political gain.
“Mayor Gainey’s inflammatory rhetoric is not only divisive but also a distraction from the real issues facing Pittsburgh—rising crime, economic stagnation, and a lack of leadership,” said Todd McCollum, Chairman of the City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee. “District Attorney Zappala has served this county with distinction, working tirelessly to uphold the rule of law and keep our communities safe. To sling unfounded accusations of racism at him is an insult to his record and to the voters who elected him.”
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