House Speaker Paul Ryan called for Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Penn., to resign from the House in light of his conviction on federal corruption charges.
“We must hold members to the highest ethical standard, and I hope that Democratic leaders will join me in seeking his immediate resignation,” Ryan said in a Wednesday evening statement.
Fattah was convicted of being involved in a scheme to repay an illegal $1 million campaign loan. The charge has led to his defeat in the Democratic primary this year, but he’s given no indication that he intends to resign. Democratic leadership have delayed calling for his resignation, in part because he might appeal the conviction.
“[Fattah] needs time to think it over and pray about it and sit down with his family and hopefully some clergy friends and make decisions based on logic more than politics,” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told Politico. “I’m sure he is going through a lot of emotions right now. We ought to give him time to figure out what his best next steps should be for his future and family.”
If Fattah refuses to resign, he could be expelled from the House if two-thirds of the body vote back the disciplinary move. “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 said. “We must hold members to the highest ethical standard, and I hope that Democratic leaders will join me in seeking his immediate resignation.”
