U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah speaks outside of the federal courthouse in Philadelphia on August 18th, 2015.
Advertisement
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a longtime federal legislator and staple of Philadelphia politics, was convicted Tuesday of orchestrating a medley of corrupt dealings to boost his career and help himself and his family financially, authorities said.
He blamed numerous criminal acts alleged against Fattah and his four codefendants, all longtime members of the congressman’s inner circle, on two former campaign aides who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and agreed to testify against him.
After losing the election, Fattah is said to have returned $400,000 to the donor and repaid the remainder using his own nonprofit, the Educational Advancement Alliance, to channel charitable and federal grant funds.
The Democrat had been in Congress since 1995 after a decade in the Pennsylvania statehouse.
Fattah lost the Democratic primary in April, months after being charged in a wide-ranging indictment alongside four associates. He will likely face pressure to step down from his post before his term officially ends.
Fattah is required by law to resign his seat after his sentencing in October.
Federal investigators followed the money trail, which led to the 2014 conviction of former Fattah aide Gregory Naylor, 66.
They also alleged that Fattah used campaign funds to pay personal expenses, including his son’s college tuition, and that he helped a lobbyist try to win a job as an ambassador or trade representative in exchange for cash and other gratuities.
Prosecutors said Fattah orchestrated “several schemes that were meant to further the political and financial interests” of himself and others.
Prosecutors also charged the congressman in a bribery scheme involving Herbert Vederman, one of Fattah’s most prolific fund-raisers and a Rendell-era deputy mayor.
“The nanny, the Porsche and the Poconos, they weren’t part of a bribery scheme”, Fattah lawyer Samuel Silver said in closing arguments.
Advertisement
The other convicted co-defendants are Vederman, of Palm Beach, Florida; Bonnie Bowser, of Philadelphia, who ran his district office; Karen Nicholas, of Williamstown, New Jersey, who ran the education nonprofit Fattah started; and Robert Brand, of Philadelphia, a businessman married to a former Fattah staffer. The racketeering count alone carries up to 20 years in prison. “Today’s convictions should send a message that the Justice Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute political corruption wherever it takes place, and uphold the principles of honesty and integrity that are the foundation of our government”.
