Former Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks from the federal courthouse on Monday after his sentencing hearing in Philadelphia. NBC10's Deanna Durante explains how. Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. 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. Neither Fattahs attorney,Sam Silver, northe prison bureau would comment to local media on why Fattah was released early from lockup, but his release appears to have been the call of the Bureau of Prisons. 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. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. Renee Chenault-Fattah. 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. Former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., was released from a federal lockup near Scranton last month to serve the rest of his sentence in either a halfway house or under house arrest in. For context, heres what geographic area the second district covers: [googledocs url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zpCiRP_-CLNE.kuzLxa1XGo9o height=480 width=640]. All they have to do is believe in the system.. Fattah also hired Vederman's girlfriend to his staff as the transactions were taking place, according to the indictment. In August 2014, Fattah's longtime aide and close confidant Gregory Naylor pled guilty to federal charges in a complex money laundering scheme used to hide an illegal million-dollar loan that a candidate, unnamed in that indictment, received for his failed mayoral campaign in 2007. U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr., the Democrat who represents a district that includes parts of Philadelphia, was indicted on Wednesday over allegations of political corruption. Once he lost that race and faced a large debt, Fattah and his inner circle illegally used federal and charitable funds to help repay the loan. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. 2130 which had a single cosponsor, Democratic Rep. Brian Baird of Washington. In 1987, Fattah founded the Graduate Opportunity Initiative Conference, an annual three-day informational and scholarship conference which aims to significantly increase the enrollment of under-represented graduate students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM fields). Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. You abused your trust, time and time again.. With that said, endorsements can sometimes help win elections. Chaka Fattahs income source is mostly from being a successful . Weldon was investigated by the feds and never charged, but news of a probe may have cost him his seat. These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. After charges were filed against Fattah last summer, not everyone in West Philadelphia, an area that was once on lock for the former congressmans voters base, was on Fattahs side and praying for his re-election. Fattah insists the Justice Department racketeering case is politically motivated. The #WasteOfTheDay is presented by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com. A solarium with its own fireplace off the living room and a library paneled in knotty pine with built-in bookshelves are other distinctive elements. Earlier this year, Fattah, 60, was convicted of misspending government grants and charity money to fund his campaign and personal expenses, even as he and his TV anchor wife earned more than $500,000 a year. But this is only part of the story. Anchor Jim Rosenfield, speaking during Wednesday's 4 p.m. newscast, said Chenault-Fattah "is now on leave.". They told authorities the money covered the friends purchase of a Porsche owned by Fattahs wife, but the Porsche never left their garage. People got to be real careful about taking out a guy like that, State Sen. Vincent Hughes, a longtime Fattah supporter, said last June. The feds also claim that in 2008, Fattah triedto secure an ambassadorship forlobbyist Herbert Vederman, one of the co-defendants. Theyre both expected to start spending soon on television ads to increase name recognition in the district. For someone so interested in advancing education for the disadvantaged, you had the temerity to steal from the Educational Advancement Alliance, a nonprofit supported by government funds, Bartle said. Evans came in fifth of five.) Yet despite his safe congressional seat, Fattah always wanted to be a power player back home in Philadelphia, where he was born, and it was this desire that ultimately led to his downfall and federal conviction. 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. But behind the confidence, the political experience and the public relations in those 22 articlesare29 federal counts of corruption the reason why Fattah is in the thick of his most contested congressional race since he first won the seat in 1994. The Pennsylvania Democrats son, Chaka Fattah Jr., is already in prison on bank and tax fraud charges. Theyre from the White House. He talks about how charges were dropped againsta Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy. This search result is here to prevent scraping, 3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129, Just Listed: Wash West Trinity Condo for Sale, On the Market: Quakertown Contemporary Manor House for Sale, On the Market: Ottsville Farmhouse for Sale with Organic Farm, The 50 Hottest Philadelphia Neighborhoods and Nearby Towns, Just Listed: Rittenhouse Square Full-Floor Duplex Condo for Sale. Congressman Chaka Fattah Sr., 58, of Philadelphia; lobbyist Herbert Vederman, 69, of Palm Beach, Florida; Fattah's Congressional District Director Bonnie Bowser, 59, of Philadelphia; and Robert Brand, 69, of Philadelphia; and Karen Nicholas, 57, of Williamstown, New Jersey, were charged today in a 29-count indictment with participating in a The Associated Press contributed to this report. Current law requires that schools within the same district provide comparable educational services; this bill would extend that basic protection to the State level by requiring comparability across school districts. 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). Discover Chaka Fattah's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Please enter valid email address to continue. He won the general election with 86% of the vote. For example, Fattah used $23,000 in nonprofit funds to repay his sons college loans and took an $18,000 bribe to try to help a friend become an ambassador. While in the U.S. House of Representatives. Politician. She was never charged and has denied wrongdoing. Committed to fair housing. The legislation provides a 50% tax credit to donors who contribute to qualifying scholarship trusts that are recognized and registered with the Secretary of the Treasury. 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. He says the work he wants to complete will take him another decade. He brings up that former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush spent $136 million compared to Donald Trumps $11 million. Vederman wrote back to Fattah, "love to purchase" the car, according to the indictment, and later wired $18,000 to Fattah. His son, Chaka Fattah, Jr., is in federal prison after being convicted on charges he funneled government money to himself and defrauded others to pad a luxurious lifestyle. 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. He reported for prison at Federal Correctional Institution, McKean near Lewis Run, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! In the 2016 election, Fattah was ousted in the Democratic primarythe real contest in his heavily Democratic, black-majority districtto state representative Dwight Evans. Fattah and his wife used the $18,000 for a down payment on a Poconos vacation home. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. Thats an area where Evans whos successfully stumped for other candidates across the state has him beat. And his family has fallen with him. And Im going to leave it to others to figure out everybodys motives.. The living room boasts such classic details as a chair rail and a marble fireplace; it also is decorated with wallpaper depicting West African scenes. She's done with that. The long-running criminal scheme was related to paying back a loan from Fattahs unsuccessful run for Philadelphia mayor in 2007. Chenault-Fattah, who used to anchor her station's 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts, went on a six-month leave that eventually became permanent. Each touts something Fattah did while in the United States Congress representing Philadelphia. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Meanwhile, Fattah has taken heat from the judge in the case for publicly claiming hes more focused on winning re-election than he is in defending himself. He says hes just fine garnering the support. She sat in the courtroom Monday typing on an iPad during the hearing. (Instead of a paywall). State Senator with National Vision. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman, is married to longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah. Hes a member of the Democratic political establishment in both Philadelphia and Washington, and predicts that if things go his way, hes next in line to take over as the Democratic chairman of the Committee on Appropriations in the House. GEAR UP has become the largest pre-college awareness program in the nations history and has given more than $2 billion toward the educational advancement of low-income students. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know, Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. In 1994 Fattah was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives after defeating incumbent Congressman Lucian Blackwell in the Democratic Primary for Pennsylvanias Second Congressional District. It was recently announced that his wife who was not charged was no longer at NBC 10 after a six-month period on leave from the station, and Fattah Jr. is in a jail cell. He is a member of famous with the age 66 years old group. I kind of want to leave it there.". 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. After Fattah rattles off his accomplishments, he draws comparisons to others he says were unfairly targeted by law enforcement. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. Evans is the challenger who could do the most damage to Fattahs campaign for re-election. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. Fattah is only 64 years old, so his estimated lifetime pension is $1 million. Fattah has long been attempting to have his sentence one of the longest ever imposed for a member of Congress reduced. On July 12, 2019, a Philadelphia judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in federal prison for public corruption. And for a while, it looked as if it was just that. 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. Fattah, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, began his political career working as the Special Assistant to the Director of Housing and Community Development in Philadelphia from 1980 to 1981. In this May 7, 2015 photo, Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., speaks during a My Brother's Keeper town hall at the School of the Future in Philadelphia. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? He doesnt have any relationships, she told The Inquirer at the time. His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband's indictment and then quit in February. If youve ever dreamed of living like a baron for less than a million bucks, nows your chance: the Fattahs loss is your gain. Fattah, who has so far largely escaped being attacked by challengers with regard to the litany of criminal charges and accusations against him, is harnessing the one thing that he has that Evans doesnt: 22 years in congress and a seat on the House Committee on Appropriations. The indictment says Chenault-Fattah e-mailed Vederman in January 2012 about purchasing her car. On the basis of this ruling, Fattah appealed his conviction in October 2016, placing his sentencing on hold. 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. Ive won dozens and dozens of elections. At press time, she'd raised about $10,000 of the $40,000 she needs. Ambition Is an Asset. He's currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. A source speculated to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the decision could be tied to coronavirus concerns. Now all of a sudden he wants to run for mayor and he shows up dispensing checks. Fattah has 22 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and another 12 in public service to rattle off when anyone asks why hes running for re-election to represent the second congressional district for a 12th term. We will update Chaka Fattah's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. "If you're black or Hispanic, you're twice as likely to be impacted by this disease," Chenault-Fattah told me. May 17, 2021 After being sentenced to 10 years in prison for a 23-count conviction for racketeering, fraud and other corruption charges, disgraced former Congressman Chaka Fattah was released from prison last July after about one year. (Of note: Fattah came in fourth in that race. The Justice Department wanted Fattah incarcerated for 17 to 21 years. Wheres he been?, Love Philly? Committed to funding neuroscience research. At 66 years old, Chaka Fattah height not available right now. Committed to youth mentorship. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. On February 23, 2010, Fattah reintroduced the bill as the "Debt Free America Act," (H.R. Chaka Fattah 1956 . Fattah has said he will appeal his conviction and sentence. By Fattahs own assessment, he could soonhold the purse strings of a nation in his hands. He's currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Philadelphia news outlets have filed a motion to unseal court documents related to that dismissal. Do you find this information helpful? The reason we must take an educated guess? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Who Is Chaka Fattah's Wife? Fattah compared himself to Rep. Joseph McDade, D-Pa., and Rep. Floyd Flake, D-N.Y., two former congressman charged in the 90s with corruption who were both later acquitted. Fattahs criminal acts were part of a years-long scheme related to his unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Philadelphia. Fattah spent two decades in Congress before losing the primary this year. Legal Statement. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. With regard to the governments cross-appeal, the Court of Appeals reinstated certain counts that had been dismissed by the District Court post-trial. He was never challenged in the Democratic primary until 2016, when he lost to Dwight E. Evans. Bartle noted that Fattah and his wife, a TV news anchor, made more than $500,000 in combined income, placing them in the top 1 percent of Americans. Bartle ordered Fattah to pay . The couple has already cleared out of the place for their new digs Chaka at a minimum-security Federal prison camp in western Pennsylvania for the next 10 years, Renee at an undisclosed location but they left it in mint condition and move-in ready. ButFattah says he wont dignify the charges by getting into the nitty-gritty. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle called the Philadelphia Democrats crimes astonishing given that he and his wife had an annual income that put them at or near the top 1 percent.. Meanwhile, Evans had $303,000 on hand and Muroff had $208,000. As a member of Pennsylvanias state House Fattah wrote and passed into law Pennsylvanias Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP). December 12, 2016 / 12:36 PM The Court of Appeals remanded for a new trial as to certain bribery and money laundering counts, concluding that the jury had not been properly instructed regarding official acts in a bribery context. Phillys mayoral candidates are tiptoeing onto TikTok. The bill died without attracting any co-sponsor. Housed within the White House and chartered on June 20, 2012, the IWGN convenes representatives across the Federal government to make recommendations about the future of neuroscience research. Credit NBC10.