A veteran Pennsylvania congressman Chaka Fattah — a longtime political ally of both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama — was convicted Tuesday in a racketeering case that largely centered on various efforts to repay an illegal $1 million campaign loan from his unsuccessful 2007 mayoral bid.
U.S. Rep. Fattah was found guilty of all counts against him, including racketeering, fraud and money laundering.
The 59-year-old Democrat had been in Congress since 1995 and served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. But he lost the April primary and his bid for his 12th term. His current term ends Jan. 2.
Fattah had little reaction to the verdict, but he kept a smile on his face as he conferred with his lawyers afterward.
He will remain free on bail. A judge set sentencing for Oct. 4.
Fattah told reporters as he was leaving the courtroom: “Well, it’s a tough day, but I do want to thank the jurors for their service.” He said he will confer with his lawyers on the next step.
Prosecutors said Fattah routed federal grant money and nonprofit funds through his consultants to pay back the illegal loan.
His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband’s indictment and then quit in February. She was cited in the case over the sham sale of her Porsche, which prosecutors said was a bribe. But she was never charged with any wronging, and she said the sale was legitimate.
In a related case, his son, Chaka “Chip” Fattah Jr., was convicted on charges of bank and tax fraud and sentenced in February to five years in prison. A jury found he took part in a scheme as a subcontractor to defraud the Philadelphia school district.
Justice Department lawyer Jonathan Kravis said in his closing argument that Chaka Fattah Sr. used federal grants and nonprofit funds to enrich his family and friends.
Defense lawyers acknowledged Fattah might have gotten himself in financial trouble after a costly mayoral bid, but they said any help from friends amounted to gifts, not bribes.
Many of them came from co-defendant Herbert Vederman, a wealthy friend who had dreams of scoring an ambassadorship. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, testified that he never took the pitch from Fattah too seriously, even though Fattah once bent the president’s ear about it.
Fattah, a Democratic superdelegate, also endorsed Clinton for president in February of this year.
Vederman helped support Fattah’s South African nanny and paid $18,000 for a Porsche owned by Fattah’s TV anchor wife.
“The nanny, the Porsche and the Poconos, they weren’t part of a bribery scheme,” Fattah lawyer Samuel Silver argued in closings. “Those were all overreaches by the prosecution.”
The campaign loan was just one of several schemes prosecutors outlined during the trial. They say Fattah was aided in his endeavors by current and former staffers who ran his district office or the nonprofits; by Vederman, who now lives in Palm Beach, Florida; and by political consultants Greg Naylor and Thomas Lindenfeld, who pleaded guilty.
The other co-defendants are 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 jury on Tuesday came back with a mixed verdict for them.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Serving in the US House of Representatives or US Senate provides the members with all sorts of temptations. Most members tip-toe right up to the line and ‘legally’ partake of as many offers as they can. But of course, many go over the line and accept more than allowed. Truthfully, I doubt that I’d have the backbone to constantly refuse all of the free stuff thrown my way in that situation. So it’s better that you never elect me. Just the honest truth.
ART YOU ARE AN HONEST MAN, I FEEL THE SAME WAY, AND I DONT KNOW IF I COULD RESIST ALL THE TEMPTATION, THAT IS THERE. ITS NATURAL TO BE GREEDY. BUT THEY WERNT SENT THERE TO BE GREEDY. THEY ARE PAID TOO WELL AND HAVE TOO MANY BENEFITS, TO BE SO GREEDY.
Apples don’t fall far from the trees, do they? He has been educated by the best. Time for special interest groups to disappear or maybe special interest groups should start padding the taxpayers pockets so they to can live the life of rielly, also
In my 80 years of watching politicos come and go, I noticed that when a “poor” boy gets elected and goes to Washington, within 2 years he has become a millionaire. I know he doesn’t get paid from taxes that much, so he must “Be on the take” from favor groups.
Right on Roy, but they are all honest and hold the moral high ground or so the say. Makes you want to reach for the throw up bag……..
Just like the do in Mexico, these democract go to Mexico and get the know how
to do the same here.
They are all getting paid for votes from special interest groups the voters need to clean house and vote them out of office.People pay no attention as long as it doesn’t effect there lives.But it will in the long run.
You made me think again of the Clintons’ Global Initiative or Clinton Foundation. Why can’t us voters get to see who and how much was given to that foundation and how much of it was really passed on to the cause of helping the poor, and how much remained in the hands of this (in)famous family. Publish it Hillary, let’s see how honest you are.
How do they even distinguish between what are legal donations and what are not? I mean how is what he did any different from Trump loaning his campaign 36 million dollars and then making it pay him back, or floating campaign donations to various businesses of his as a way to pay it back? I remember when Kerry was running for president, and they said he could not legally fund his own campaign with his family wealth. When did that change?
Super delegate is a joke and should be abolished. Another one of Hillary’s super delegates donated $1 million to the Clinton Foundation, then wound up with a classified job with the state department when Hillary was SOS. If the super delegate process was once legitimate Hillary turned it and everything else she touches into a corrupt practice. Down with super delegates and leave the election up to the people. Hillary will still find a way to corrupt that as well with dead voters and paid voters voting hundreds of times. The only way she can win is via election fraud, and the only way she can be defeated is through indictment and conviction. Unfortunately the imposter president will bend over backwards to cover her butt lest he be exposed as the criminal he is.
I was just wandering how much does it take to be nominated to an ambassadorship in .. let’s see: the Isle of Capri? Of course it is not a country but I am sure Hitlery would make so in order to get at least one Million for her pockets.
I’m surprised more Clinton supporters aren’t convicted of corruption. This guy will probably file an appeal so he can finish out his term in office. It sounds like the whole family is corrupt but that they just aren’t all that good at covering their tracks.
He got convicted at the right time.Now Obama will pardon him.Just part of the Obama and Clinton corruption.
The poor guy lost his moral compass or maybe he belongs to the Hillary crowd and never had one .
Fellow American Citizen,
He SOB could not have lost something HE NEVER HAD: Ethics and morals. The rest is Bullsh_t.
Yes he is close friends with the Clinton’s and Obama just a common thief.
Suonds just like behaviors that Hillary and Bill Clinton would do. Peas in the same pod.
He was found guilty, and he still in office. that is the democrat way…..
Only since 1992 when the Clinton’s hijacked the Democratic Party, snubbed and stabbed the Working Class, the labor unions in the back,
closed military bases left & right in the states of NY, NJ, MA, RI, ME, IL, TX, FL, CA, WA, CO, PA, OR, AK, have crooked corrupt Democrats have gotten away with crimes. Prior to 1992 they went to prison. There were only super delegates during the 1992, 1996, 2000,
2008 & 2016 primaries & caucuses and at the Democratic conventions of those years. There should not be any super delegates at all period, and there should be no electorial college either. The United States is the only country in the world that has an electorial college and along with neighboring Mexico, a 2 party dictatorship.
It is all about creating a personal fiefdom founded on payoffs from special interest groups, corporations and others who have these career politicians on a string. This is the norm
This person needs to be removed from office NOW, not when his term is over in January. Just another example of clinton corruption which exists throughout our “administration”, at ALL levels!!
I wish people would face facts that 90% of the Dem party has some kind of baggage like this. Yes there are some Rep but the Dems are by far the most “all I can steal without getting caught”. They also lead in the field of lies when they do get caught. There are none better. just look at the current leader and the one now running. Both went in with empty and came out with pockets so full the had problems walking. And if you remember Clintons cleaned out the WH of anything that wasn’t nailed down.
If he gets convicted will he still get a pension? I do agree if you are being tried for anything, you should
step down from any political office!!!! NO COMPENSATION AT ALL.
When i watch for only a few minuets the B.S.that drops from the mouth of H.C.I can’t help noticing the faces of her cheering crowd.By looking at them they appear to have the intelligence of a patch of cabbage.Her friends say how smart she supposedly is.The only way she is smart is her uncanny ability to follow you through a revolving door and create the impression that she is somebody.I have high hopes that the American people aren’t swayed by this professional con artist.
Hillary & Bill remind me of Bonnie & Clyde simply using better finesse so no one feels they are being taken advantage of. They are so slick their donors Smile as they make Complete Fools of themselves throwing away their money. Hillary’s thrusting of her Rhetoric of total nonsense with Wild Gestures stems the group up and they don’t even know why or what stirred them up. It’s the weak who feel down trodden that support the Wild One who really doesn’t care for them beyond their VOTE.
CRIMINALS DO ATTRACT OTHER CRIMINALS….AND THE DC FEDERAL CESSPOOL IS OVER FLOWING IN THE STENCH OF CAREER CRIMINALS……
OH gee what a surprise one of Hillary’s super delegates is a crook she probably didn’t know…..
Hillary day is coming you can run but you can’t hide…Slick willie must go……