In addition to his position keeping an eye on the finances of Pittsburgh and its school district, Michael Lamb also works as an attorney helping Pittsburghers with estate planning and administration.
Lamb, a Democrat who has served as city controller since 2008 and is now one of several candidates running to be Allegheny County executive, has been associated for nearly the same amount of time with the local law firm Campbell & Levine. He is listed as an attorney “of counsel” on the firm’s website, with specialties in public finance, municipal law, commercial law and estate planning and administration.
Lamb told the Union Progress that he does not share in the firm’s profits and hasn’t received compensation for the past several years.
“Their practice is primarily a financial restructuring practice. They’re working on a lot of large trust funds,” he said. “But the work that I do is, typically, I help friends and family through some estate matters when the need arises. That really is separate from any relationship with Campbell & Levine, and typically I’m doing that pro bono.”
He added that the legal work is at most 10 hours per month, with no set schedule.
“They’re kind enough to allow me to use their conference room if I have someone to meet with, but that’s pretty much the extent of it,” he said. “I don’t even have an office over there.”
If elected as the next county executive, Lamb said he would “take a look at” whether to drop the relationship.
“It’s been such a minor part of my time that I haven’t really even thought about it,” he said. “It’s something that potentially we would have to think about, if I’m lucky enough to get elected county exec.”
Lamb emphasized he works full time as the city controller and is focused on the public’s business.
“I’m here. I’m a guy that does my job, get up and I come to work and do my work for the people of this city and have done so for every day that I’ve been here,” he said.
Officials such as Lamb have to navigate myriad ethics rules on the books from both the state and city.
For example, city rules say officials and employees cannot “use or permit the use” of their official title “in connection with any private business from which the public official or city employee receives compensation.” A page on Campbell & Levine’s website describing Lamb and his background had until this week included his official title as city controller.
Before taking the position in 2009, Lamb sought advice from the State Ethics Commission.
Robin Hittie, then the commission’s chief counsel, wrote in a seven-page memo that ethics rules would not allow Lamb to benefit from his public position or information obtained while in his public position, and he would need to “abstain fully from participation” in the event of any conflicts of interest.
“Based on the submitted facts, Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from engaging in the private practice of law — either generally or as an ‘of counsel’ member of the Law Firm — while also serving as the City Controller,” Hittie wrote.
Jon, a copy editor and reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and working as a co-editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Reach him at jmoss@unionprogress.com.
