Federal prosecutors want 17 to 21 years of prison time for former Pennsylvania representative Chaka Fattah, the 11-term Democrat who was convicted on federal racketeering and bribery charges in June.
The Associated Press has more:
Chaka (SHAH’-kuh) Fattah is scheduled to be sentenced Monday over schemes that largely surround an illegal $1 million campaign loan he obtained in a failed 2008 run for Philadelphia mayor. Prosecutors in a filing this week say the 11-term Democrat held himself out as a champion of education and good government. But they say he instead defrauded nonprofits and taxpayer-funded groups when his campaign fundraising fell short.
Fattah resigned soon after being found guilty of 22 charges brought against him.
THE WEEKLY STANDARD wrote about Fattah’s financial dealings and subsequent woes in August 2015:
Fattah’s modus operandi on the job has been to spread around as much money as possible. Quite a bit of it has gone to education … particularly through Philadelphia’s CORE program ($27 million) and the federal GEAR UP program ($4.5 billion). Other pet projects of his include: NOAA’s educational program ($32 million), federal funding for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters ($78 million), the Manufacturing Extension Program ($128 million), and various STEM-related programs ($266 million), among others. All that money can make some very powerful friends, willing to do favors in return. Last year, the Philadelphia Daily News found that “between 2001 and 2012, nonprofits founded or supported by the Philadelphia congressman have paid out at least $5.8 million to his associates, including political operatives, ex-staffers and their relatives.” … Ironically, some of the money he helped allocate went to the Justice Department, which was disinclined, apparently, to return the favor, indicting him on 29 counts of racketeering, bribery, mail fraud, and other crimes last week.
More here.
