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. Two of Fattahs political consultants pleaded guilty in the case and testified against him. Fattah and his wife used the $18,000 for a down payment on a Poconos vacation home. Fattah, frankly, doesnt care about the politicians who have backed his most well-knownopponent. 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.". Property records indicate the house, near the Delaware River north of Milford, has about 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms, a fireplace, and a deck. He defeated the incumbent 58%-42%. The long-running criminal scheme was related to paying back a loan from Fattahs unsuccessful run for Philadelphia mayor in 2007. All they have to do is believe in the system.. 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 . Their older daughter, Cameron, is a freshman at Johns Hopkins University. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. The taskforce included both liberal and conservative Democrats, gun owners and Representatives from various cities. He talks about how former Mayor Michael Nutter. 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. All rights reserved. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia remanded for new sentencing and Fattah was again sentenced to 10 years on July 12, 2019. Chaka Chip Fattah Jr., who never finished college, was convicted of using fraudulently obtained business loans to fund his jet-set lifestyle. Convicted Former Congressman Still Draws Estimated $1 Million Federal Lifetime Pension. Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. But Fattah says hes also more committed now than he ever has been. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? "Asking for $18,000 which is a steal.". Voters in Chinatown weigh in. Just days later, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in McDonnell v. United States which altered the legal definition of bribery to exclude "pay for access." Ironically, Fattah says that one day he hopes his legacy in Philadelphia is not about his success at the polls or the elections hes won or even about his prominence in the Washington Democratic establishment, but rather, he says, about what hes done for his constituents and for the country. Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. 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. This dominancehas allowed him to spend little on campaigning, save for his 2007 bid for mayor. Two days later, according to the indictment, the Fattahs had their mortgage for the Poconos property approved. Fattah is only 64 years old, so his estimated lifetime pension is $1 million. December 12, 2016 / 12:36 PM By Fattahs own assessment, he could soonhold the purse strings of a nation in his hands. Housed within the White House and chartered on June 20, 2012, the IWGN convenes representatives across the Federal government to make recommendations about the future of neuroscience research. And Im going to leave it to others to figure out everybodys motives.. 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.. But this time around, she intends to be an advocate forcauses about which she's passionate. These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr., the Democrat who represents a district that includes parts of Philadelphia, was indicted on Wednesday over allegations of political corruption. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. The younger Fattah is serving a five-year sentence. But their real-life fairy tale turned into a nightmare in 2015 after the feds indicted and later convicted Chaka Fattah of racketeering, bribery, money laundering, and fraud. makes sure to note, too, that Sims raised $230,000 to challenge him for Congressthis year and didnt make it to filing day. See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010#District 2. Fattahs position on the spending committee has allowed him to direct resources to programs hes prioritized over the years, whether its neuroscience and research involving brain function, youth mentoring expansion or education programs that have helped underprivileged families send their kids to college. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Chaka-Fattah-Jr-Fraud-Sentencing-Federal-Court-367332741.html, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chaka-fattah-former-pennsylvania-congressman-10-years-prison-corruption/, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Tom Wolf and Mayor Jim Kenney, the latter ofwhom praised Evans for being someone who has built relationships and is not a divisive figure.. As of September 5, 2010, none of the House committees have scheduled any action on the latest bill. The bill died without attracting any co-sponsor. Wisely, Chenault-Fattah, now 60, decided to stick to what she's known for, which is telling stories. In 2002, he introduced the "Student Bill of Rights", H.R. A handful of names circulated, from District Attorney Seth Williams to now former Mayor Michael Nutter. 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. The tax credit assists any full-time college or university student or their families that claim the credit. While you have done much good, you also engaged in grave and widespread criminal activity, Bartle added. A jury has decided that based on the evidence presented to them that I am guilty of charges presented by the government. After that, he was re-elected every two years with at least 86% of the vote. In the 2016 election, Fattah was ousted in the Democratic primarythe real contest in his heavily Democratic, black-majority districtto state representative Dwight Evans. Office of Property Assessment records show the home was put in Renee Chenault-Fattahs name via a nominal transaction in 2006. The Court of Appeals remanded for a new trial as to certain bribery and money laundering counts, concluding that the jury had not been properly instructed regarding official acts in a bribery context. 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. We will update Chaka Fattah's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Rep. Chaka Fattah was indicted Wednesday on racketeering charges tied to a host of public corruption schemes, the Department of Justice said. After charges were filed against Fattah last summer, not everyone in West Philadelphia, an area that was once on lock for the former congressmans voters base, was on Fattahs side and praying for his re-election. 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. 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. 3759) which proposed to have the U.S. Treasury conduct a one-year feasibility study of a 1 percent transaction fee imposed on transactions made at any financial institution. Advertisement Weldon was investigated by the feds and never charged, but news of a probe may have cost him 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, paid for that poll. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. Please enter valid email address to continue. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators, noting his "excellence in haberdashery.". 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. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange firearms for vouchers for groceries or other goods. 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. We have estimated 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. Fattah used the money to pay personal expenses, including his taxes. 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. He is stepfather to her daughter Cameron Chenault. So, how much is Chaka Fattah worth at the age of 66 years old? With that said, endorsements can sometimes help win elections. After emerging as a mayoral candidate, Fattah came under fire from the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police for his repeated calls to grant a new trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of murdering police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981; he also was criticized for possibly unethical campaign spending, based on new campaign finance rules adopted by the city of Philadelphia. Fattah served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 192nd district from 1983 to 1988, and as a State Senator for the 7th district from 1988 to 1994. or redistributed. You abused your trust, time and time again.. 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. Meanwhile, Fattah has taken heat from the judge in the case for publicly claiming hes more focused on winning re-election than he is in defending himself. Evans is the challenger who could do the most damage to Fattahs campaign for re-election. Fattah told Bartle that he had helped tens of millions of people during his time in office, despite the crimes hed been convicted of committing. Democrat Rep. Dwight Evans now holds Fattah's seat in Congress. Fattahmakes sure to note, too, that Sims raised $230,000 to challenge him for Congressthis year and didnt make it to filing day. 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. ", When I asked how he's faring in federal prison, she said, "Chaka's doing great. Both the main home and the carriage house have central air, and there are two garages on the property as well. What hewilladmit: Raising cash for re-election while under the cloud of federal indictmenthas been a struggle. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. (That) has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. Who Is Chaka Fattah's Wife? In the late 1990s she broadcast segments on her own pregnancy, which was achieved through anonymous artificial insemination. He says hes just fine garnering the support. Fattah and several of his co-defendants, who include former campaign and congressional aides, obtained an illegal $1 million loan for him during the 2007 mayors race. Vederman wrote back to Fattah, "love to purchase" the car, according to the indictment, and later wired $18,000 to Fattah. The estimated pension is at least $55,000 per year. Fattah was a former state lawmaker and Philadelphia official who was elected to Congress in 1994. 3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129 | TREND images via Elfant Wissahickon Realtors. His son, Chaka Fattah, Jr., is in federal prison after being convicted on charges he funneled government money to himself and defrauded others to pad a luxurious lifestyle. The congressman's wife, NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, was not in the courtroom. "Whether it's diabetes, whether it's heart disease, strokes across the board.". So the feds say hesecured a $1 million loan from then-Sallie Mae CEO Al Lord a big no-no in campaign finance and then paid back $600,000 of itusing charitable and federal funds through his nonprofit the Educational Advancement Alliance. But the icing on this crooked cake is that Fattah is collecting a taxpayer-funded pension. He won the general election with 86% of the vote. 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. Politics Was " Fun ". 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/. Despite the successes, the connections, the seniority and the support, hes a careerpolitician whos nearly out of campaign funds and who couldnt pay the lawyers defending him on charges of using public money and charity dollars to further his political career and line the pockets of hisassociates. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress . (The government thereafter announced its intention not to retry those counts.) Evans came in fifth of five.) I'm a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News covering mostly local topics but sometimes weighing in on national news as well. The two-story carriage house can serve as a separate residence for an in-law, aupair or guests. He's doing well. 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. Fattah was convicted in June on a number of federal corruption charges, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, and filing false statements. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman,. 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 Philadelphia, the U.S. Bureau of Prisonshas confirmed. Fattah was the recipient of numerous honors and awards including 10 honorary doctorates and the University of Pennsylvanias Fels Institute of Government Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. However, the law was riddled with loopholes, leaving convicted felons to collect taxpayer-funded pensions. At 66 years old, Chaka Fattah height not available right now. The elder Fattah, 59, faces his own corruption trial before Bartle on May 2. "This is an extraordinarily difficult day for me and my family. In 2009, Fattah introduced a fourth bill to require having a study conducted, H.R. The measure calls for States to provide highly effective teachers, early childhood education, college prep curricula and equitable instructional resources to all students who attend public schools. Chaka Fattah's net worth On August 9, 2018, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit overturned Fattahs bribery convictions. Following this conference, his mother decided to change his name to Chaka Fattah, to acknowledge their African ethnicity. Fattah, who began his career in the Pennsylvania statehouse and entered Congress in 1995, lost the spring Democratic primary days before his trial began and resigned after his conviction in June. Matt Rourke/AP A federal jury has sentenced former Rep. Chaka. The four others convicted at trial will be sentenced later this week. The kitchen is totally up-to-date with the requisite granite countertops, stainless steel high-end appliances, and island workspace. Thats as he continues to collect his pension, as no member of Congress has ever been stripped of their pension. Theyre from the White House, The New York Times, The Inquirer, The Times of Israel. Anchor Jim Rosenfield, speaking during Wednesday's 4 p.m. newscast, said Chenault-Fattah "is now on leave.". Congressman Chaka Fattah, November 20, 2014. The credit is unique in that families under a set income without a tax liability are eligible for a tax rebate. His wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah (m. 2001). Committed to fair housing. (Of note: Fattah came in fourth in that race. They have two school-age children. 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. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. After Fattah rattles off his accomplishments, he draws comparisons to others he says were unfairly targeted by law enforcement. State Senator with National Vision. He represented the 2nd Congressional District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1994 to 2016. He talks about how charges were dropped againsta Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy. The couple, married in 2001, have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. Or rather, Chaka and Renee. More by Anna Orso. With regard to the governments cross-appeal, the Court of Appeals reinstated certain counts that had been dismissed by the District Court post-trial. Richardson Dilworth, a professor of politics and the director of Drexels Center for Public Policy (and, yes, grandson of the former mayor), observed that Fattah has great name recognition in his district, andsaid hes not convinced his indictment is going hurt him much at the polls. His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband's indictment and then quit in February. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The conference brought together national leaders in cooperative development to share best practices to create powerful change for their organizations. The latest bill places more focus on eliminating the federal debt. This dominance. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Legal Statement. This was my first big success in Congress.. In addition, Fattah received bribes from Herbert Vederman, a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia who served as an aide to his mayoral campaign. They dont even have to believe in me. Muroff, the past president of CeaseFire PAwhos taken up gun violence prevention as one of his primary causes, said he wouldnt diminish the importance of a district being represented ona powerful committee with control over spending, but noted that hes the only challenger with experience as a senior level legislative staff member in the federal government. Politician. May 17, 2021 After being sentenced to 10 years in prison for a 23-count conviction for racketeering, fraud and other corruption charges, disgraced former Congressman Chaka Fattah was released from prison last July after about one year. 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. 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. All the while he did it with his own little West Philadelphia political machine, with the support ofpeople like Hughes and Councilwoman Cindy Bass. And the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission show Fattah, who makes $174,000 a year in congressional salary, had less than $6,000 in his campaign coffers as of Dec. 31. Now all of a sudden he wants to run for mayor and he shows up dispensing checks. For example, Fattah used $23,000 in nonprofit funds to repay his sons college loans and took an $18,000 bribe to try to help a friend become an ambassador. State Rep. Brian Sims declared himself a challenger, then dropped out before filing day. Committed to one day maybe six days after the primary, the scheduled start date of his trial fighting those criminal charges. Experts seem to agree that prosecutors have their hands full trying to prove theircharges because of a long paper trail (900,000 pages of government evidence) that will have to be nailed down in court. But Fattah says hes also more committed now than he ever has been. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. 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. When you get someone whos invested 10 or 20 years, and theyre in there and bringing resources back, it doesnt really make sense to get rid of them., 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. In 1991, State Senator Fattah decided to run for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district in the special election that was held after Democratic U.S. When charges came down last summer, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. If you know Chaka, he is the eternal optimist. "If you're black or Hispanic, you're twice as likely to be impacted by this disease," Chenault-Fattah told me. His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband's indictment and then quit in February. ", She added, "This is a disease that has no effective treatment and no cure.". He touted the possibility that such a system would bring in so much money it would allow for greatly increased federal spending, saying the "excess funds" would "provide universal health care, support an equitable public school finance system, and fund economic development in urban and rural areas," in addition to extinguishing the national debt and eliminating all other federal taxes. 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. They told authorities the money covered the friends purchase of a Porsche owned by Fattahs wife, but the Porsche never left their garage. 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. This was a significant decrease from the 2012 election, when Fattah received 302,746 votes, more votes than any other member of the House of Representatives for that election. This is a story about my funding of the bridge over the Schuylkill, but its really symbolic of a host of efforts across the district. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. 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. The bill has national support from co-op and EOB advocates and members. 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. Former Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks from the federal courthouse on Monday after his sentencing hearing in Philadelphia. (Instead of a paywall). And above all, he can say that theres essentially no chance someone who beats him in the election would, as a freshman congressman, earn a seat on appropriations. I wouldnt trade for a day some very well-meaning, well-intentioned person who might be at the pillar of the citys civic leadership for having working families stay with me.. 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. Im as innocent as you are under our system, Fattah said. He's currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. He was never challenged in the Democratic primary until 2016, when he lost to Dwight E. Evans. Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. Committed to youth mentorship. Fattah has introduced a few bills targeting the equity of resource allocation within and between school districts. 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. She sat in the courtroom Monday typing on an iPad during the hearing.