Who Paid for Hip-Hop Festival Police Coverage?

The alleged use of taxpayer dollars to protect a for profit concert put on by group including relatives of a city's top officials has resulted in an investigation.

Wilmington's city council is looking into why taxpayer money was used to cover police expenses at the for-profit Foxtail Fest, a hip-hop concert.

"We asked for nothing from the Mayor, nothing free from the government," said Curtis Matthias, event organizer.

The Delaware River waterfront concert was organized by What Scene?, a company whose founders include the son of Mayor Dennis P. Williams' chief strategy adviser and state Rep. Charles Potter Jr., the mayor's cousin.

The city picked up the bill for cleanup, emergency services and 20 police officers for security. Williams says other events last weekend also received city services, but the organizers of three other events said they were not treated equally, particularly when it came to security.

"How many city personnel were involved, what was their rate of pay, so we have a better idea of what happened. It was thousands of dollars if what we are hearing is correct," said Charles "Bud" Freel, city council member.

A joint city council committee meeting on the issue will be held Sept. 30.

Williams' spokeswoman says he never gave a direct order for one group to get preferential treatment over another.

Saturday’s festival featured acts including Machine Gun Kelly and Kat Dahlia. Tickets started at $30 for general admission.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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