The guilty verdict brings to a stunning end Chaka Fattah's three-decade career in Philadelphia politics. | AP Photo Fattah convicted on corruption charges

Longtime Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania was found guilty Tuesday on federal corruption charges, a stunning fall from grace for a one-time power player in the City of Brotherly Love.

Fattah, 59, had been charged with bribery, racketeering, money laundering, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, and filing false statements as part of a years-long criminal scheme that even included Fattah lobbying President Barack Obama for an appointment for one of his co-conspirators. Fattah was found guilty on all charges, as were four co-defendants.


The guilty verdict brings to a stunning end Fattah’s three-decade career in Philadelphia politics and is a major victory for the Justice Department and Zane David Memeger, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Memeger’s office prosecuted the case against Fattah, who was first elected to Congress in 1994.

“Chaka Fattah Sr. and his co-defendants betrayed the public trust and undermined our faith in government,” Memeger said. “Today’s verdict makes clear that the citizens of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania expect their public officials to act with honesty and integrity, and to not sell their office for personal gain. Hopefully, our elected officials in Philadelphia and elsewhere hear today’s message loud and clear.”

Fattah is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4. He could face as long as 20 years behind bars on the bribery charges alone, but it is not yet clear how much prison time prosecutors will seek. Fattah is likely to appeal his conviction.

Fattah’s son, Chaka Fattah Jr., is already in prison on bank and tax fraud charges. He is serving a five-year sentence.

In a statement released after his conviction, Fattah made no reference to resignation or leaving Congress.

“This is an extraordinarily difficult day for me and my family. A jury has decided that based on the evidence presented to them that I am guilty of charges presented by the government,” Fattah said. “Today’s decision notwithstanding, it has been my privilege to serve the constituents of the Second Congressional District for over 20 years. … While today’s outcome isn’t what we had hoped, I respect our nation’s judicial system. I want to thank the people of the Second Congressional District for the honor of serving them.”

With Fattah giving no sign of leaving on his own, there is no formal word yet on whether House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California or other senior Democrats will move to oust Fattah from the Democratic Caucus or strip his committee assignments, call on him to resign or even move to expel Fattah from Congress if he doesn't step down prior to his sentencing, although that does not seem likely at this point. Fattah's days in Congress are numbered regardless, after he lost his seat in an April primary.

Under House rules, Fattah is not allowed to vote in committee or on the floor. The House Ethics Committee has already begun its own Fattah investigation but suspended it at the request of the Justice Department.

A senior Democratic aide said party leaders are unsure whether DOJ will continue to ask the Ethics Committee to hold off on its probe if Fattah appeals his conviction. If DOJ does not, it will then be up to the Ethics Committee to decide how to move forward against Fattah, said the aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Republicans, however, note that Pelosi called on then-Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to force former Rep. Michael Grimm to resign when the New York Republican pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion in December 2014.

In previous cases, members who were convicted on corruption charges — such as the late Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) — did not resign but were stripped of their committee seats and party membership and then kicked out of Congress.

Until his indictment last July, Fattah was the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee panel that oversees funding for DOJ and other federal agencies. Fattah stepped down from that post once charges were filed against him.

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 mayor’s race, then improperly used federal and charitable funds to help repay the debt. Fattah and the other co-conspirators submitted false billing statements to his mayoral campaign in order to keep the loan secret.

In addition, Fattah received bribes from Herbert Vederman, a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia who was an aide in Fattah’s mayoral campaign. Fattah used the money to pay personal expenses, including his taxes.

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 Obama on the issue. Fattah also hired Vederman’s girlfriend in his congressional office.

Vederman gave Fattah $18,000 in January 2012 so the Pennsylvania Democrat could qualify for a mortgage on a vacation home in the Poconos, the indictment stated. The two men allegedly created a fake car sale to account for the funds, although Fattah reportedly kept the Porsche that was supposedly sold.

Vederman also reportedly helped get a visa for Fattah’s “live-in au pair” and gave her money for tuition.

The FBI conducted a years-long investigation into Fattah’s mayoral campaign and personal finances. Fattah denounced the long-running probe as a witch hunt against him.

