Federal investigators have started asking questions about a range of city of Pittsburgh and city authority dealings related to Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Pat Ford, who is on paid leave pending a State Ethics Commission review of his receipt of gifts.

At least two people have met with investigators from the U.S. attorney's office, the FBI and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development about some accusations made against Mr. Ford and some made by him.

Mr. Ford's attorney, Lawrence Fisher, yesterday reiterated an e-mail written last month in which he said Mr. Ford "is actively cooperating with authorities regarding his concerns about the [Pittsburgh] Housing Authority," of which he was board chair until early April.

Pat Ford

Blogger Bram Reichbaum, a pivotal figure in bringing the gifts to light, said he was interviewed for more than an hour late Monday by four investigators -- two from the U.S. attorney's office, one from the FBI and one from HUD, which oversees the housing authority.

The inquiries appear to be in preliminary stages.

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan would not comment. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office said it had not been contacted. URA and housing authority officials said they have not been contacted by federal investigators, with the latter adding that they would cooperate with any review.

"Broadly, there was Lamar Advertising, there was the housing authority," Mr. Reichbaum said of his conversation with investigators. There also were discussions about a private developer and city dealings with another billboard firm, Liberty Pacific Media.

"I don't want to jeopardize the investigation by revealing too many details," he said.

Another person who asked not to be identified met with a similar federal team and was asked questions about a similar range of subjects.

The interviews come as Mr. Ford hopes for a prompt end to the State Ethics Commission review. That was prompted by an April 11 letter from URA General Counsel Don Kortlandt asking whether Mr. Ford's receipts of a surround sound system and other gifts in 2006 from James Vlasach, Lamar Advertising real estate manager, "are violative of law." It did not invite any broader investigation.

Mr. Fisher said he believes the commission may decide whether to drop the matter or launch a full investigation by Friday, though that decision might not be immediately public. He has said the surround sound system's value is less than the $250 reporting threshold in ethics codes.

Mr. Reichbaum said he went to Ms. Buchanan's office after a conversation with her in which she indicated interest in city matters about which he has written on The Pittsburgh Comet and The Burgh Report, two blogs.

Mr. Reichbaum then met with Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman, the deputy criminal chief who heads white collar prosecutions, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Conway. Also in attendance were one investigator each from HUD and the FBI, he said.

Mr. Reichbaum said they would not say whether they are conducting an investigation.

He said he could not offer investigators much new information on city dealings, but related his role in April in prompting the disclosure of the gift of a surround sound system. At that time, Mr. Reichbaum contacted Alecia Sirk, Mr. Ford's wife, who confirmed the gift. Mr. Ford then took the information to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

It gained perceived significance because the city had granted a permit to Lamar Advertising to place a 1,200-square-foot electronic billboard on the Grant Street Transportation Center, Downtown. That permit -- granted without hearings, votes or bids for the publicly owned space on the center -- was challenged and revoked, and a new permit application is the subject of a July 24 Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing.

Lamar's attorney, Jonathan Kamin, would not say whether his client has asked Mr. Ford to testify at that hearing.

Asked what the administration will do after the State Ethics Commission reports back, Mr. Ravenstahl said he would not "speculate on what-ifs at this point ... We'll take a look at what that decision is, and we'll make our decision."

After going on leave, Mr. Ford said he brought Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. his concerns about "irregularities" in spending at the housing authority and "reckless mismanagement" in its handling of the Garfield Heights public housing development. Mike Manko, a spokesman for Mr. Zappala, said that remains "an open review."

Also in April, news emerged of a dinner meeting involving Mr. Ford and executives from Liberty Pacific Media, a Seattle-based billboard firm that got city sign permits, and then sold them, prior to its executives making $25,000 in contributions to Mr. Ravenstahl's campaign. Historic preservationists have asked the administration to review or remove one of those billboards, a Rolling Rock beer sign that hangs at 960 Penn Ave.

Mr. Ravenstahl said yesterday that he does not expect to become involved in the Lamar hearing or the Rolling Rock sign debate.

He said he'll let the process "run its course ... I've been pretty straightforward and clear that I'm not opposed to billboards. In fact, in general I support them and think that they're a good thing if done appropriately."

Mr. Reichbaum, 32, of East Allegheny, authors The Pittsburgh Comet, at pghcomet.blogspot.com. He could not think of a local precedent for a representative of the new media being interviewed by federal investigators.

"I want a thorough airing, and for justice to be done for the taxpayers and the residents of the city of Pittsburgh," he said. He said he's concerned about "no-bid contracts, decisions made outside of normal public processes and the normal chain of command."

He noted that many members of the Pittsburgh blogging community have shown interest in the billboard permitting issues since they emerged in February, helping to "weave a narrative and keep certain obscure facts on the front burner ... It's evident that it has reached a boiling point."