Several County Council Democrats have retained lawyers to represent them in a lawsuit that claims they held an illegal private meeting.

But in what could be bipartisanship at its finest, or politics at its weirdest, one of them -- James Ellenbogen -- is being represented by a Republican counterpart.

GOP Councilman Chuck McCullough, a practicing attorney, announced last night that he is representing Mr. Ellenbogen in the suit against council's Democratic caucus by Jim Roddey, a former county chief executive and county Republican chairman.

"I am a working guy. I have a family, and kids in college," Mr. Ellenbogen, D-Banksville, said, adding that Mr. McCullough is representing him free of charge.

"Councilman McCullough's family and mine have been friends for more than 30 years," Mr. Ellenbogen said.

County Council Solicitor Jack Cambest, who would not comment on whether Mr. Ellenbogen's and Mr. McCullough's arrangement qualifies as a conflict of interest, said "a judge may have to determine whether two council members can have such a relationship."

Mr. Roddey sued the 11 County Council Democrats in Common Pleas Court on Thursday for allegedly violating Pennsylvania's open records and meetings law commonly known as the Sunshine Act.

He contends that they did so on July 8, when they held a closed-door meeting with enough members to compose a quorum of council.

That meeting, he contended, was the basis for a council-generated referendum question regarding the county's 10 percent drink tax.