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Former Congressman Chaka Fattah sentenced to 10 years in prison for "I love my husband. the Service Employees International Union, spent about a third of whatbusinessman Tom Knox did, a Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy, Experts seem to agree that prosecutors have their hands full, 5 things to know about Joanna McClinton, Pa.s first Black woman House speaker, How to get on the primary ballot in Philly (and why candidates get kicked off), What should Philly mayoral candidates answer about public safety? A source speculated to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the decision could be tied to coronavirus concerns. Congressman Chaka Fattah, November 20, 2014. The biggest deal is: What did you do?, Nice to see you. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, But this time around, she intends to be an advocate forcauses about which she's passionate. Fattah's wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, was implicated in the indictment against the congressman and no longer sits at the anchor desk at NBC 10 where she worked for nearly 25 years. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange firearms for vouchers for groceries or other goods. I kind of want to leave it there.". Committed to youth mentorship. In the 2011-12 election period, he spent $162,000 while the average winner of a House seat spent 10 times that, some $1.6 million. Politician. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. Born in Philadelphia on November 21, 1956, Chaka Fattah grew up with political ideas and even developed his own political propaganda for other candidates at the age of 14. The quick rise and slow fall of Chaka Fattah: A career that started Chenault-Fattah, 57, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. The feds also claim that in 2008, Fattah triedto secure an ambassadorship forlobbyist Herbert Vederman, one of the co-defendants. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Chenault-Fattah has sold the 2.6-acre estate in East Falls that had been their marital home and downsized into something smaller near Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where their daughter, Chandler, is an eighth grader. Its main floor features a living room and great room on either side of a central fireplace, a modern kitchen, a TV room with powder room and a laundry. Veteran Pa. congressman convicted in racketeering case The couple, married in 2001, have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. He had eight siblings and seven of them died from different forms of cancer". Fattahmakes sure to note, too, that Sims raised $230,000 to challenge him for Congressthis year and didnt make it to filing day. After that, he was re-elected every two years with at least 86% of the vote. Social Activism Brings a Name Change. To cement the transaction, Fattah provided a bank a copy of a bill of sale for the vehicle, the indictment says, which Chenault-Fattah had signed as the seller. He was ordered to report to prison by Jan. 25, 2017. Congressman Chaka Fattah's wife, NBC10 News Anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah responds to allegations detailed in a Federal Indictment against her husband. Fattah served on the Appropriations Committee and on several subcommittees. But she fought to keep the figure private during her husband's mayoral run in 2007, and his federal financial disclosure reports do not specify how much she earns. Fattah, frankly, doesnt care about the politicians who have backed his most well-knownopponent. I don't want to say anything about the case because it's being appealed. After Congress tightened ethics laws, convicted members of Congress were supposed to lose federal pensions. Fattah was once a shoo-in for his seat representing the second congressional district, one of the poorest in the nation and the only district in Pennsylvania with a majority black residency. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 21 November. "Almost every chronic illness hits us harder," she said, referring to African Americans. These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. She has anchored each of the network's prime-time newscasts, including the 11 p.m. news, which she hosted with Larry Mendte from 1997 to 2003. "And when it's all said and done, I would like for the story to be, 'We miss you on TV. How are they doing? Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., who never finished college, was convicted of using fraudulently obtained business loans to fund his jet-set lifestyle. Chenault-Fattah, who is also a lawyer, spent 25 years with WCAU-TV before she resigned after the indictment named her a participant in the bribery scheme. HEMAP is a loan program designed to protect Pennsylvanians who, through no fault of their own, are financially unable to make their mortgage payments and are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. ", She added, "This is a disease that has no effective treatment and no cure.". President Obama has called for making the tax credit permanent. Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Davenport; November 21, 1956) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 2016. Renee Chenault-Fattah, wife of the indicted Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), was not charged by federal authorities Wednesday - but the longtime NBC10 anchor did not escape the U.S. attorney's charging document. Committed to youth mentorship. The congressman has never won less than 85 percent of the vote in the general, and in 2000 he defeateda Libertarian by garnering an unheard-of 98 percent of the vote. Suddenly, the popular broadcaster was a stay-at-home mom with a whole lot of time on her hands and a non-compete clause that sidelined her for a least a year. Congressman William Gray decided to resign. Dem Rep. Chaka Fattah Gets 10 Years in Prison for Fraud - Breitbart The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Fattah was challenged by Republican nominee Robert Allen Mansfield, Jr. and Independent candidate and publisher of the Germantown Newspapers, Jim Foster. (That) has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. He is from . Fattah, a Philadelphia Democrat who served 20 years in Congress, was convicted in 2016 ofmisusing more than $600,000 in federal grants and charitable funds and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. He was convicted on 23 counts of racketeering, fraud, and other corruption charges on June 21, 2016, and resigned two days later. One man standing outside a barbershopon Lancaster Avenue put it this way: We keep supporting these people, keep electing them, but they always end up doing dumb shit.Many are concerned Fattah is just another in a long line of political figures exposed of beinginvolved in shady dealings. Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. Neither Fattahs attorney,Sam Silver, northe prison bureau would comment to local media on why Fattah was released early from lockup, but his release appears to have been the call of the Bureau of Prisons. On August 9, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia overturned Fattah's bribery convictions. They have two school-age children. Fattah compared himself to Rep. Joseph McDade, D-Pa., and Rep. Floyd Flake, D-N.Y., two former congressman charged in the 90s with corruption who were both later acquitted. From 1995 to 2016, Fattah served as the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvanias 2nd Congressional District. "After this, I would like to do something around cancer in our community," she said. Two days later, according to the indictment, the Fattahs had their mortgage for the Poconos property approved. Advertisement In the middle of Kelly territory, this 1930 Cotswold-style home lets you live the life of grace. And Fattahs Twitter account shows that he launched a business while still serving his sentence, with his bio saying hes President/CEO of Fattah Neuroscience Global Advisors - Catalysts in Uplifting Brain Research. Though Fattah was reportedlyunder investigation by the Department of Justice for eight years, it took charges on racketeering and bribery for challengers to come forward. Chaka Fattah, former Pennsylvania congressman, gets 10 years in prison This was my first big success in Congress.. For context, heres what geographic area the second district covers: [googledocs url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zpCiRP_-CLNE.kuzLxa1XGo9o height=480 width=640]. Fattah was the lead Democrat responsible for the funding of the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney General. Fattah spent two decades in Congress before losing the primary this year. Chenault-Fattah is focusing her attention on Alzheimer's disease and the disproportionate way it affects people of color. "[That] has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. Federal agents also saw the car in Fattah's garage in March 2014, the indictment says, more than two years after the transaction supposedly occurred. Former state Rep. Dwight Evans, a fellow Democrat, now holds his seat. The only poll conducted so far suggests Evans is in the lead, but theres a caveat: Evans, who didnt respond to a request for comment. Im going to get these allegations behind me. Its alleged that he misappropriated more funds from his mayoral and congressional campaigns in order to pay off his sonsstudent loan debt by dispensing checks to a political consulting firm which then lessened his sons college debt burden. Thats at least four more elections to win. His wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah (m. 2001). The FBI spent years investigating Fattah, and it long looked as if he would escape federal indictment. While you have done much good, you also engaged in grave and widespread criminal activity, Bartle said. 4646) which proposed to repeal the federal income tax and replace it with a 1 percent "transaction tax" on every financial transaction whether paid by cash, credit card or any form of financial transfer, the only exception being transactions involving the purchase or sale of stock. The legislation provides a 50% tax credit to donors who contribute to qualifying scholarship trusts that are recognized and registered with the Secretary of the Treasury. Get your daily rundown of Philly happenings in less than 10 minutes, Philadelphia local news: Neighborhoods, politics, food, and fun, Get Philly smart with BPs free daily newsletter. WASHINGTON -- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.) It was recently announced that his wife who was not charged was no longer at NBC 10 after a six-month period on leave from the station, and Fattah Jr. is in a jail cell. Started in 1983 by Pennsylvanias Act 91 of 1983, it was only one of its kind until 2010 when Fattah added language to the Dodd Frank bill to provide similar assistance, to homeowners nationwide. His wife, former NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, though not charged in his case, saw her career end this year after she was linked to the sham sale in 2012 of her Porsche convertible, a transaction prosecutors said was intended to cover up a bribe to her husband. said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. Fattah Estate Goes on the Market in East Falls for $995K Upstairs youll find three bedrooms and a full bath. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. And Im going to leave it to others to figure out everybodys motives.. Chaka Fattah was born Arthur Davenport on November 21, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Arthur Davenport and Frances Brown. The case was then remanded for resentencing. The only poll conducted so far suggests Evans is in the lead, but theres a caveat: Evans, who didnt respond to a request for comment, paid for that poll. (Of note: Fattah came in fourth in that race. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. But the icing on this crooked cake is that Fattah is collecting a taxpayer-funded pension. The program promotes college attendance among the nations most impoverished students. Upon entering the political world at age 25, he became a lawmaker and served six years as Pennsylvania state representative, followed by six years as state senator. As of September 5, 2010, none of the House committees have scheduled any action on the latest bill. Chaka Fattah's income source is mostly from being a successful . The latest bill places more focus on eliminating the federal debt. The Republican party may have won a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, but a seat was still found for a liberal named Chaka Fattah.The freshman Democratic congressman from Philadelphia is a lawmaker who has . On November 5, 1991, City Councilman Lucien Edward Blackwell won the election with a plurality of 39% of the vote defeating Fattah (28%), John F. White (28%), and Nadine Smith-Bulford (5%). Theyre from the White House, The New York Times, The Inquirer, The Times of Israel. His son, Chaka Fattah Jr. is serving a five-year prison term in an overlapping fraud case that went to trial last year. Both bills died without any action being taken. Though the house dates only to 1930, theres some history behind this plot: the estate was once part of a much larger 10-acre one dating to the 1700s that stretched from School House Lane all the way to Coulter Street. The Justice Department wanted Fattah incarcerated for 17 to 21 years. Legal Statement. Legal Statement. He won the general election with 86% of the vote. Congress works off seniority. In 2009, Fattah introduced a fourth bill to require having a study conducted, H.R. Since 2011, the Congressman was able to negotiate an increase of $30M to investment in DOJ programs that fund groups including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Fattahs wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, was implicated in the indictment against the congressman and nolonger sits at the anchor deskat NBC 10 where she worked for nearly 25years. "This is an extraordinarily difficult day for me and my family. Fattah's wife, longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah and their two daughters were not charged. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know, Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. "Whether it's diabetes, whether it's heart disease, strokes across the board.". So heres whatprosecutors say happened: Fattah and four of his close associates were indicted by federal prosecutors with the Department of Justice in July after they poked around in the congressmans finances for the better part of eight years. These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. I'm a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News covering mostly local topics but sometimes weighing in on national news as well. By misusing campaign funds, misappropriating government funds, accepting bribes, and committing bank fraud, as alleged in the Indictment, Congressman Fattah and his co-conspirators have betrayed the public trust and undermined faith in government.. makes sure to note, too, that Sims raised $230,000 to challenge him for Congressthis year and didnt make it to filing day. Chaka Fattah is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He says hes just fine garnering the support of the full Democratic city committee and the endorsement of unions likethe Service Employees International Union and AFSCME district council 33. All rights reserved. Philly congressman Chaka Fattah dismissive of - The Morning Call The trial was originally scheduled for May 2, 2016, but in April a judge had the date pushed back to May 16 to give the defendants time to review the excess of more than 100,000 documents accrued by the prosecution. His candidacy announcement took place next to the recently completed Microsoft School of the Future in the city's Parkside neighborhood to emphasize his campaign platform of better educational opportunities for city youth. Fattah is also the creator of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). Fattah eventually came in fourth in the Democratic primary, close behind fellow Congressman Bob Brady but well behind former city councilman Michael Nutter, who went on to win the fall general election handily. Fattah convicted on federal corruption charges - Inquirer.com Committed to one day maybe six days after the primary, the scheduled start date of his trial fighting those criminal charges. | AP Photo. Matt Rourke/AP A federal jury has sentenced former Rep. Chaka. Chaka Fattah with Obama aide Valerie Jarrett on Air Force One. On June 21, 2016, a federal jury convicted Fattah, 59, of bribery, mail fraud, and 27 other charges including misappropriating campaign, charity, and taxpayer money. Chaka Fattah of racketeering, bribery, money laundering, and fraud. And I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that," she told me. He reported for prison at Federal Correctional Institution, McKean near Lewis Run, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017. save for his 2007 bid for mayor. 2130 which had a single cosponsor, Democratic Rep. Brian Baird of Washington. His bill calls for $25 million federal investment and technical assistance to cooperatives through a new National Cooperative Development Center. Congressman Chaka Fattah, a Philadelphia Democrat, speaks to the center for American Progress in 2010. They say Fattah and his allies ran not one, but several schemes, that misappropriated funds and helped him further his own political and financial interests. During his sentencing in 2016, U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle called the Philadelphia-area lawmaker's crimes "astonishing" given that he and his TV anchor wife had a $500,000 annual income that put them at or near the "top 1 percent.". A small donation would help us keep this available to all. His wife, former NBC 10 anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, was labeled as "Person E" in his indictment; she is accused of being a participant in falsely reporting the sale of her Porsche to a . So, how much is Chaka Fattah worth at the age of 66 years old? Fattah and the other co-conspirators submitted false billing statements to his mayoral campaign in order to keep the loan secret. In 1994 Fattah was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives after defeating incumbent Congressman Lucian Blackwell in the Democratic Primary for Pennsylvanias Second Congressional District. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle called the Philadelphia Democrats crimes astonishing given that he and his wife had an annual income that put them at or near the top 1 percent.. PHILADELPHIA A federal judge has sentenced Former Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah to 10 years behind bars on charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. In 2005, Fattah introduced the bill again with H.R. For someone so interested in advancing education for the disadvantaged, you had the temerity to steal from the Educational Advancement Alliance, a nonprofit supported by government funds, Bartle said. Thats an area where Evans whos successfully stumped for other candidates across the state has him beat. He also mentioned Rep. Curt Weldon, a Republican congressman from the Philly burbs and a veritable 9/11 trutherwho served in Congress until 2007 when he lost to Joe Sestak, now a senate candidate. Disgraced ex-Rep. Fattah released from federal prison, will serve rest See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010#District 2. DeSantis family unwinds on horseback at Houston Rodeo ahead of governor's speech, Marianne Williamson launches campaign against Biden, vows to fight 'forces of hatred, injustice and fear', Haley blasts both Democrats and fellow Republicans, including Trump, over exploding national debt, Sen. Cornyn challenges Biden to enforce existing asylum law as Dems' 'open borders base' rails against admin. However, the listing agent states that most of the information about this property in public records is inaccurate and that a recentlycompleted survey of the property is available. He then served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1982 to 1988 and the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1988 to 1994. On July 29, 2015, Fattah and four of his associates, Bonnie Bowser, Karen Nicholas, Herbert Verderman and Robert Brand were indicted for their alleged roles in a racketeering conspiracy involving several schemes that were intended to further the political and financial interests of the defendants and others by, among other tactics, misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal, charitable and campaign funds. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! He even lobbied President Barack Obama on the friends behalf, to no avail. His father said hes spoken to his son, who is looking forward to appealing his own federal case. Anecdotally, from what Ive seen, I wouldnt count him as the most popular of Philadelphia politicians., Retired Councilwoman Marian Tasco didnt mince words in 2006 when Fattah was in the process of running for mayor. His parents divorced, and his mother married David Fattah, changed her name to Falaka Fattah, and changed her sons name as well. Sure, Fattahis still a member of several subcommittees that handle appropriations. , money, salary, income, and assets. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. 1601, and again in 2007 with H.R. (The government thereafter announced its intention not to retry those counts.) Andthe Department of Justice contends its investigators werent unfairly targeting the congressman. Fattah has also added a 1 percent tax credit designed to eliminate the impact of the measure on couples making less than $250,000 a year. After Fattah rattles off his accomplishments, he draws comparisons to others he says were unfairly targeted by law enforcement. The judge said it was equally astonishing that Fattah would steal money to cover his sons debts, to pay taxes and to buy a family vacation home. Time Magazine named Fattah one of the 50 most promising leaders in the country. Its the former home of Congressman Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah, a 2.6-acre estate tucked away on a quiet lane in East Falls. He received an MA from The John Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in 1984 and a Master of Governmental Administration (MGA) at the University of Pennsylvanias Fels Institute of State and Local Government in 1986. A handful of names circulated, from District Attorney Seth Williams to now former Mayor Michael Nutter. The prize? "And that's something that a large segment of the population is not aware of. Chenault-Fattah, who used to anchor her station's 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts, went on a six-month leave that eventually became permanent. The living room boasts such classic details as a chair rail and a marble fireplace; it also is decorated with wallpaper depicting West African scenes. Fattah then repaid it with funds that included NASA grant money steered through an education nonprofit run by former staffers. Chaka Fattah | Encyclopedia.com He also wrote the legislation for the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). Fattah and his wife, Renee Chenault Fattah, also allegedly used bribery proceeds to "close on a vacation home" in the Poconos by falsely disguising an . She was cited in the case over the sham sale of her Porsche,. A lawyer before she became a journalist, Chenault-Fattah is said to earn a substantial salary from NBC10. / CBS/AP. Dianna Marder, Party Politics: Fattah, Chenault exchange vows with help from their children, the congressman and news anchor held a big church wedding,The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 8, 2001, Congressman Chaka Fattahs son taken off to serve years in prison for fraud,NBCPhiladelphia.com, February 2, 2016,https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Chaka-Fattah-Jr-Fraud-Sentencing-Federal-Court-367332741.html; Bill Clark, Chaka Fattah former Pennsylvania congressman gets 10 years in federal prison for corruption, CBSNews.com, December 12, 2016,https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chaka-fattah-former-pennsylvania-congressman-10-years-prison-corruption/. Current law requires that schools within the same district provide comparable educational services; this bill would extend that basic protection to the State level by requiring comparability across school districts. Two of Fattah's political consultants and accomplices pleaded guilty and testified against him. Pennsylvania Center for the Book 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2451. She is on leave from her anchor job. What hewilladmit: Raising cash for re-election while under the cloud of federal indictmenthas been a struggle. This was her first interview since her husband's conviction, so I asked her about that not that I could get her to say much about Chaka, his legal case or the infamous 1989 Porsche that prosecutors alleged was a cover for a bribe from a lobbyist. The taskforce included both liberal and conservative Democrats, gun owners and Representatives from various cities. Fattah, a Democrat formerly representing Pennsylvanias second congressional district, was found guilty in June 2016. Fattah was a former state lawmaker and Philadelphia official who was elected to Congress in 1994. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators, noting his "excellence in haberdashery.". On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison as a result of the conviction. Congressional pensions are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In May 2013, Fattah introduced the Creating Jobs through Cooperatives Act (HR 2437). Since 2006, Fattah has pioneered gun-buyback programs in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Police. Yet despite his safe congressional seat, Fattah always wanted to be a power player back home in Philadelphia, where he was born, and it was this desire that ultimately led to his downfall and federal conviction. Fattahs criminal acts were part of a years-long scheme related to his unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Philadelphia. Hes a member of the Democratic political establishment in both Philadelphia and Washington, and predicts that if things go his way, hes next in line to take over as the Democratic chairman of the Committee on Appropriations in the House. Evans is the challenger who could do the most damage to Fattahs campaign for re-election. For these additional counts, Fattah was again sentenced to 10 years of incarceration on July 12, 2019. She sat in the courtroom Monday typing on an iPad during the hearing. All Rights Reserved. Former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., was released from a federal lockup near Scranton last month to serve the rest of his sentence in either a halfway house or under house arrest in. Vederman wrote back to Fattah, "love to purchase" the car, according to the indictment, and later wired $18,000 to Fattah. Their older daughter, Cameron, is a freshman at Johns Hopkins University. He can point to his early and loud supportof President Barack Obama.