Former Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who was convicted of rigging city contracts to help his campaign benefactors, is reaching out to the public for help paying bills related to his legal defense.

His wife, Lisa Pawlowski, set up a site on gofundme.com to ask for help paying $8,000 hotel bills for her husband's attorneys. The family put up the bill so criminal defense attorney John J. "Jack" McMahon Jr. could stay in Allentown during the six-week trial, according to the site.

Thank you for your friendship and support over these past years. Ed and I could not have made it this far without your... Posted by Ed Pawlowski on Tuesday, August 7, 2018

The family can't pay the $8,000 credit card bill to cover the cost, the site says. It also asks for help paying a "second" attorney $43,000, and further says the family may need funds for legal bills to address "complications" with the Federal Election Commission.

When asked for comment via email, Lisa Pawlowski said the gofundme.com site speaks for itself.

"Thank you for your interest. All that I want to say publicly is in the Go

Fund Me post. So, I won't be giving any further comment," she said.

McMahon didn't immediately return messages. Federal prosecutors who handled the case had no comment.

"Since Ed has lost his job we have been struggling to 'make ends meet'," the site says.

Pawlowski was convicted on March 1 of 47 federal crimes including conspiracy to commit fraud, making false statements to the FBI and multiple counts of bribery, attempted extortion, mail fraud and wire fraud.

He was found not guilty of seven crimes: attempted extortion, three counts of bribery and three counts of mail fraud.

"We maintain innocence and will fight this battle to the end," the site says. "Many of you have asked how you could be of help. We have finally organized our needs, and the way you could help."

The mayor resigned on March 8. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 5 in Allentown.

The family solicited donations to the site on Facebook and Twitter. As of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, the family had raised more than $500 on its way to a goal of $7,000. The site went up on Aug. 4.

"Thank you for considering this help. We are devastated by our situation right now and go on day by day by God's grace and strength, and your prayers and well-wishes," the site says.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.