Rep. Chaka Fattah walks after leaving the federal courthouse in Philadelphia on June 21 | AP Photo Fattah, facing expulsion threats, revises departure offer

Convicted Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah submitted his letter of resignation from Congress Wednesday and said he wants to remain in the House until Oct. 3 — the day before he is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court. But now he appears to be having second thoughts.

Fattah's initial stated desire to remain in Congress for months after he was found guilty on multiple counts of corruption stunned senior lawmakers in both parties, some of whom threatened to expel him. Speaker Paul Ryan called on Fattah to resign immediately.


"Mr. Fattah has betrayed the trust of this institution and the people of Pennsylvania, and for that he should resign immediately from the House of Representatives," Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement. "We must hold members to the highest ethical standard, and I hope that Democratic leaders will join me in seeking his immediate resignation.”

Following Ryan's statement — and facing the real possibility of expulsion — Fattah issued another statement signaling he was willing to step down sooner.

"With that said, in further consultation with House Leadership, we are working to identify an agreeable time frame which will relieve the House of any distractions in carrying out the people’s business," Fattah said. "I hold the institution of the Congress of the United States in the highest regard and am thankful for the privilege to have served."

Fattah was convicted Tuesday on an array of federal corruption charges, including bribery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4. The Pennsylvania Democrat is not allowed to vote on the floor or in committee.

After losing his April primary, following his indictment nine months earlier, Fattah was going to retire in January anyway. Some Republicans have openly called for Fattah to resign or be expelled. Democrats, for their part, assumed Fattah would quickly decide to leave on his own accord and most kept quiet about the issue.

In a letter Wednesday to Ryan, Fattah initially declared that he would leave office, but not until Oct. 3, prior to his sentencing.

"Despite my resignation, I am working to clear my name of these charges and plan to mount an appeal," Fattah said.

Fattah also mentioned some of the major pieces of legislation he helped craft during his nearly 22-year career.

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.

This article tagged under: Ethics

Corruption

Chaka Fattah