The city of Pittsburgh's Redd Up Crew was accused of playing politics yesterday, as workers cleaning a lot on city time were caught on camera wearing the campaign T-shirts of Councilman Jeff Koch.

The crew, which is managed by a confidant of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and includes Mr. Koch's campaign treasurer, was cleaning an Allentown lot owned by a relative of a supporter of the councilman's campaign. The photos, taken by a worker for a rival campaign yesterday, came to light as the city's Public Works Department increasingly faces accusations of politicking.

	In this photo distributed by Ken Wolfe, a supporter of council candidate Bruce Kraus, workers with the city Redd Up Crew wear T-shirts promoting re-election of Councilman Jeffrey Koch. Four workers face five-day suspensions without pay. Click photo for larger image.

Mr. Ravenstahl called the conduct of workers wearing campaign shirts "unethical, inexcusable and unacceptable." He said four employees who the administration did not identify will be suspended without pay for five days for violating the Department of Public Works uniform policy, and he referred their choice of clothing to the Ethics Hearing Board, which meets Friday, for consideration.

"When city workers are used for campaigning, it hurts the people of this district, it hurts city taxpayers, it hurts the democratic process," said Bruce Kraus, the challenger to Mr. Koch in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

"Those guys know they have to wear a uniform," said Mr. Koch, who claimed ignorance of the crew's clothing. The emergence of the photos, he said, is "political, know what I'm saying?"

The crew was created by the late Mayor Bob O'Connor to clean up neighborhoods, and doubled by Mr. Ravenstahl.

It was photographed cleaning a lot at 87 Allen Ave., on which sits a house boarded up by the city. It is owned by Deborah Goldie, according to the Allegheny County property assessment Web site, who is the niece of John T. Connors, a funeral home owner who lives and works across the street. Mr. Connors has one of Mr. Koch's signs on his property.

"I didn't see anything inappropriate," said Mr. Connors, who said he's a Republican. "To be honest with you, I don't give a damn what [city workers] wear."

When Harry Wolfe drove by the work site, he called his son, Ken Wolfe, who works for the Kraus campaign. Ken Wolfe hurried to the scene and used a digital camera to take pictures of four crew workers wearing shirts bearing the words "Elect Jeffrey Koch, City Council, District 3."

Ken Wolfe said Ray Sansone, a member of the crew and Mr. Koch's campaign treasurer, was wearing a white Koch shirt, though that's not clear from the pictures.

"I said, 'Ray, what's up with the T-shirts?'" Mr. Wolfe said. "He said, 'I can wear any T-shirts I want.'"

Mr. Sansone could not be reached for comment.

The city charter says city workers "are prohibited from engaging in political activity during working hours and at all times in city offices." It does not bar them from holding party office or expressing opinions on politics.

Wearing campaign clothes on city time is "basically using their bodies as billboards while doing the public's work," said Barry Kauffman, executive director of the watchdog group Common Cause of Pennsylvania.

Shortly after taking the photographs, Mr. Wolfe returned to the work site, he said, and found Redd Up Campaign Manager Kevin Quigley there. He said Mr. Quigley accused him of harassing the workers, and threatened to call police. Mr. Wolfe then called police, who arrived but took no action.

"Ken Wolfe and Ken Wolfe's dad were following [the crew] around more or less harassing them, taking photos," said Mr. Quigley, a friend of and former council aide to Mr. Ravenstahl who is also a Democratic committee member from Brighton Heights.

Mr. Quigley said the workers removed the shirts before he got there and "were chewed out."

"Obviously, I wasn't aware of it, because I was in council [yesterday] morning," said Mr. Koch.

"It's easy for Jeff to claim innocence," countered Mr. Kraus. "But when you have his treasurer, Ray Sansone, in the pictures, it's hard to argue that he wasn't aware."

Mr. Koch said he asks the crew to work in his district, sometimes e-mailing Mr. Quigley directly. "I submit complaints, just like everybody else does," he said.

"He's walking a thin line there," said Mr. Kraus.

In March, the Public Works Department was criticized by an energy savings firm for a fast-track bidding process that resulted in a $2 million contract to a firm co-founded by Charles Zappala, a politically connected investor. In the wake of reports that council members and Democratic committee members were exerting influence over street paving decisions after a computerized paving management system was mothballed, Mr. Ravenstahl's administration has pledged to look at software to add objectivity to that process.