Mayor Parker has suspended her campaign spokesperson over domestic violence allegations

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has suspended her campaign spokesperson, Mustafa Rashed, after learning that he is under investigation for allegations of domestic violence.

Rashed’s wife said that on June 20 he struck her in the face and “swung me across the room” in the couple’s Brewerytown home, resulting in injuries to her face and back, according to a temporary protection-from-abuse order filed against him. Rashed has not been charged with a crime, and police are still investigating.

A lawyer for Rashed, a well-known lobbyist and political consultant, called the allegations “unsubstantiated and untrue.”

”Notably, Mr. Rashed has never committed or even been accused of anything like this before,” his attorney Nick Liermann said. “He looks forward to resolving this deeply personal matter and clearing his name in a court of law.”

Rashed plans to fight the allegations at a Sept. 30 court hearing regarding the protection-from-abuse order, which was granted temporarily based on his wife’s account alone, as is standard in Pennsylvania. In the meantime, he has stepped down from his role at the firm he owns, Bellevue Strategies, and Parker said she will not use the firm for campaign work until the case is resolved.

Parker said she learned about the allegations last week.

“There is no excuse — ever — for domestic violence,” Parker said in a statement. “I was dismayed to learn about these allegations. While this matter is pending within our judicial system, neither Mustafa nor his firm will serve as spokesperson for my campaign.”

Rashed’s wife declined to comment, and she had no attorney listed in the PFA order. The Inquirer is withholding her name due to the nature of the allegations.

Rashed is one of the most prominent lobbyists in City Hall, and he has frequently been quoted in news outlets, including The Inquirer, as an expert on local politics. The Inquirer hired Rashed’s Bellevue Strategies to consult on DE&I communications for three months in the first quarter of 2023.

His lobbying clients have included major corporations like Starbucks and Amazon; civic institutions, including the Urban League of Philadelphia and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia; and government agencies, including the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., according to his lobbyist registration paperwork filed with the city.

Rashed and his firm have strong connections with the Parker administration. Three members of his firm served on the mayor’s transition team. And Jessica Cosmé Platt, who recently launched a separate communications firm with Rashed called Bellevue Public Affairs, is married to one of Parker’s top aides, Chief Deputy Mayor Aren Platt.

A judge on June 25 granted a temporary protection-from-abuse order against Rashed that was requested by his wife. In the order, Rashed’s wife described the incident, saying, “He hit me in the face and swung me across the room and broke the coffee table and I hurt my back.”

She said she saw a doctor the day after the incident and has photos of her injuries, according to the order.

Liermann provided Rashed’s account of the incident in his statement: “On June 20th, Mr. Rashed entered his home and found his wife with another man. After removing the man from the home, Mr. Rashed left the property.”

Rashed has “video, documentation and testimonial evidence” that will allow him to show that the allegations are “provably untrue,” Liermann said.

In the order, Rashed’s wife said she filed a police report three days after the incident. Miguel Torres, a department spokesperson, confirmed police responded to a report for a domestic incident on June 23 at 2:30 p.m. on the block where Rashed and his wife live. Philadelphia police do not typically identify crime victims or confirm investigations involving people who have not been charged.

Torres said a 47-year-old woman had “bruising and swelling to the right eye” and said she had been physically assaulted by a 49-year-old man three days earlier. Torres said the investigation is “active and ongoing.”

The couple are in divorce proceedings, Liermann said, and Rashed began a leave of absence from his company on July 1 to focus on his children’s well-being. The firm, he said, is “in the capable hands of the predominantly female executive team.”

Rashed has served as a spokesperson for Parker’s campaign as recently as Aug. 19. Rashed was working with the campaign in a personal capacity, Liermann said, and not on behalf of the firm.

Temporary protection-from-abuse orders, known colloquially as restraining orders, are approved by judges. They can make it illegal for someone to visit or contact another person, and they last until a hearing is held on a request for a longer-lasting, permanent PFA.

Permanent orders can last up to three years in Pennsylvania. During a hearing for a permanent PFA, scheduled for later this month in Rashed’s case, both the accuser and the accused may be heard and can share their accounts.

Staff writer Chris Palmer contributed to this article.