Thats at least four more elections to win. At press time, she'd raised about $10,000 of the $40,000 she needs. In 2013, Fattah served as a vice chair on the House Gun and Violence Taskforce, a taskforce created under the direction of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. He resigned from Congress two days later. He defeated the incumbent 58%-42%. A year earlier in 2015, Fattah was indicted on charges of bribery, money laundering, and bank and mail fraud, among other charges, making him vulnerable in the primary. 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. "[That] has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. While you have done much good, you also engaged in grave and widespread criminal activity, Bartle said. But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. In Fattahs eyes, this people being wrongly accused happens all the time. A subsequent Philadelphia Daily News investigation revealed that nonprofits receiving federal funding and connected to Fattah paid out over $5.8 million to Fattah allies and alleged that many of these payments were ethically dubious. 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. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The four others convicted at trial will be sentenced later this week. He can point to his early and loud supportof President Barack Obama. 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. The sale price should just about cover the amount Chaka swiped from the government and nonprofit organizations to repay the illegal $1 million campaign loan that landed him in prison. "And that's something that a large segment of the population is not aware of. Theyre kind of dealing with the position, Fattah said. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. NEW JERSEY FEDERAL JUDGES SON KILLED, HUSBAND SHOT AT HOME. He doesnt have any relationships, she told The Inquirer at the time. 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. From the outside, things seem painfulfor Fattahs family. Fattah was the lead Democrat responsible for funding some of the largest science agencies in the federal system (NASA, NSF, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). On Monday, U.S. District Judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in prison. The Fattah campaign defended itself, claiming that it had followed less restrictive federal rules in spending the money, but eventually returned a portion of the excess contributions to the exploratory committee following a settlement with the city's Board of Ethics. The case was then remanded for resentencing. Fattah insists the Justice Department racketeering case is politically motivated. The Emergency Homeowners Loan Program provides up to 24 months of assistance, through bridge loans, for distressed homeowners and is a scaled-up version of the HEMAP program. 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. In December 2011, Fattah through his role on the Appropriations Committee, directed the OSTP to establish an Interagency Working Group on Neuroscience (IWGN). Thats an area where Evans whos successfully stumped for other candidates across the state has him beat. Fattah sentenced to 10 years in prison - POLITICO These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. This was my first big success in Congress.. Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. Some of the major players in the city leadership maybe are not embracing me because allegations have been made about me, Fattah said. Ambition Is an Asset. They include former Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Herbert Vederman, of Palm Springs, Florida, who had sought the ambassadorship. With other women, he is the father of another daughter, Frances ("Fran"), and one son, Chaka Fattah Jr., known as "Chip", who was convicted of felony bank and tax fraud in February 2016. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. First published on December 12, 2016 / 12:36 PM. Dem Rep. Chaka Fattah Gets 10 Years in Prison for Fraud - Breitbart Bartle ordered Fattah to pay . This dominance. said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. (Instead of a paywall). This legislation will provide means to catalyze cooperative development, provide tools to entrepreneurs to bring cooperative to their communities, partner with financial institutions to provide grants a loans to developing businesses, offer technical training and professional development. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange firearms for vouchers for groceries or other goods. Labeled as "Person E" throughout the 85-page indictment, Chenault-Fattah, one of the station's most visible personalities and anchor of the 4 and 6 p.m. broadcasts, is portrayed as a participant in a scheme to falsely report the sale of her 1989 Porsche Carrera convertible to a lobbyist for $18,000. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I kind of want to leave it there.". They have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. 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. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. The taskforce included both liberal and conservative Democrats, gun owners and Representatives from various cities. He is from . ", When I asked how he's faring in federal prison, she said, "Chaka's doing great. It's the former home of Congressman Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah, a. After 30 years of working first as a Wall Street lawyer and later a TV broadcaster, she had to figure out what her third act would be. His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband's indictment and then quit in February. People got to be real careful about taking out a guy like that, State Sen. Vincent Hughes, a longtime Fattah supporter, said last June. I got to ask former WCAU-TV anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah anything I wanted about Alzheimer's disease. In return, Fattah reportedly pushed for an ambassadorial position for Vederman or for appointment to the U.S. Trade Commission, including hand-delivering a letter to President Barack Obama on the issue. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. 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. "And when it's all said and done, I would like for the story to be, 'We miss you on TV. He reported for prison at Federal Correctional Institution, McKean near Lewis Run, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. And then Im going to continue my work in the Congress, he said. 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. A spokeswoman for NBC10, Shawn Feddeman, said the station had no comment. "If you're black or Hispanic, you're twice as likely to be impacted by this disease," Chenault-Fattah told me. Theres no better time to kick a candidate than when hes down. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson. Time Magazine named Fattah one of the 50 most promising leaders in the country. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators, noting his "excellence in haberdashery.". Credit NBC10. His wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah (m. 2001). Philly congressman Chaka Fattah dismissive of - The Morning Call Fattah represented the 2nd district in Pennsylvania, an overwhelmingly Democratic district, in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2016. When I reached out to her on Tuesday, she was about to take part in a round-table discussion organized by Us Against Alzheimer's. Democrat Rep. Dwight Evans now holds Fattah's seat in Congress. The Fattahs used the cash to help buy a $425,000 vacation house in the Poconos, the indictment says, but Chenault-Fattah kept the Porsche - and even renewed its registration and took it to an auto shop months after signing the title over to the lobbyist, Herbert Vederman. After that, he was re-elected every two years with at least 86% of the vote. 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 . The reason we must take an educated guess? 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.. Fattah supporters have raised questions about whether he received a fair trial, noting that one of the jurors was dismissed from the case. Fattah was the lead Democrat responsible for the funding of the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney General. Rep. Chaka Fattah was indicted Wednesday on racketeering charges tied to a host of public corruption schemes, the Department of Justice said. 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. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Those in high places will certainly know what happens in this courtroom today, said U.S. District Judge Harvery Bartle, III, as he sentenced Fattah, according to WPVI, a Philadelphia TV station. Convicted Former Congressman Still Draws Estimated $1 Million Federal Lifetime Pension. 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. For 16 minutes, the 59-year-old describes each one in varying detail. The FBI spent years investigating Fattah, and it long looked as if he would escape federal indictment. This dominancehas allowed him to spend little on campaigning, save for his 2007 bid for mayor. Congressman William Gray decided to resign. You abused your trust, time and time again.. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress before losing a Democratic primary in April. Fattahs third wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, is a former Philadelphia television news broadcaster. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Rep. Chaka Fattah responds to corruption charges: "This is not Deflate-gate", NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, convicted of misspending government grants and charity money to fund his campaign and personal expenses. The tax credit assists any full-time college or university student or their families that claim the credit. He even lobbied President Barack Obama on the friends behalf, to no avail. The nonprofit efforts including a NASA-funded mobile science classroom emblazoned with Fattahs name that roamed Philadelphia during the mayoral campaign helped promote Fattahs political career, prosecutors said in their sentencing memo. Chaka Fattah is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. 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. The congressman's wife, NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, was not in the courtroom. Committed to funding neuroscience research. 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. 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. President Obama has called for making the tax credit permanent. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress . U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr., Of Philadelphia, Indicted On Corruption That is not going to be the big deal of whatever is said about me, he says, pausing to point at the 22 articles that lay out his political accomplishments. 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. "Almost every chronic illness hits us harder," she said, referring to African Americans. Chaka Fattah's income source is mostly from being a successful .