Patrick J’s closing update: legal fees, back taxes and… White Castle?

More details have emerged regarding the closing of Patrick J’s, the Old North bar and politico hot-spot owned by former lobbyist John Raphael.

The Dispatch reported this morning that the restaurant’s closing coincided with the sale of the property to Borror Properties for $600,000, and that Raphael conducted the sale in order to stave off $300,000 he owed in back taxes.

That’s not to mention the thousands of dollars in legal fees Raphael accrued when he pled guilty to a charge of extortion by threats.

As you may recall from October of last year, Raphael was wrapped up in the Redflex red-light-camera scandal, in which several thousand dollars worth of campaign contributions were extorted from the company and subsequently donated to high profile local politicians, including former mayor Michael B. Coleman and current mayor Andrew Ginther.

Both Coleman and Ginther claim they had no knowledge of the illicit activity.

As for the future of the property, a spokesman for Borror Properties said the site will become part of a joint venture with White Castle, though not necessarily a new White Castle Restaurant.

But none of this is set in stone, as city officials have not yet received plans for the site.

It’s sad to see the longtime gathering place go, especially if it will be transformed into yet another bland chain. Here’s to hoping Borror Properties can see the worth of the establishment, and revamp it into an equal of Patrick J’s.

Long-standing Old North bar and restaurant Patrick J’s closed today after serving customers for 29 years.

However, the closing might have less to do with sales and more to do with owner John Raphael’s guilty plea to a federal charge of extortion back in October.

Raphael, who was also a lobbyist for Redflex, the red light camera company, could face up to 20 years in prison for bribing elected officials in order to secure lucrative contracts for the company.

The city of Columbus turned off the red light cameras in March of last year.

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