HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) — The state Ethics Commission has launched an investigation of former Mayor John Street’s actions while he served as chairman of the Philadelphia Housing Authority board, which awarded legal work to a law firm that employed Street’s son.

The state Ethics Commission won’t confirm or deny the existence of the probe, but Sherry A. Swirsky, Deputy General Counsel for the Philadelphia Housing Authority, confirms that the Ethics Commission has issued subpoenas and right to know requests for information and documents relating to an investigation of former Mayor Street.

“My understanding is simply that they are looking to us for information regarding legal work that was performed by Wolf Block during the years that Sharif Street was a lawyer there,” Swirsky explains.

Swirsky says she’s seen bills that indicate that the former mayor’s attorney son worked on a number of matters for PHA during the time period that the Ethics commission is probing. Swirsky says PHA is cooperating fully. The former mayor says he’s confident he conducted himself within ethical rules.

Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio