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. Chenault-Fattah has sold the 2.6-acre estate in East Falls that had been their marital home and downsized into something smaller near Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where their daughter, Chandler, is an eighth grader. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A year earlier in 2015, Fattah was indicted on charges of bribery, money laundering, and bank and mail fraud, among other charges, making him vulnerable in the primary. This was my first big success in Congress.. By Fattahs own assessment, he could soonhold the purse strings of a nation in his hands. Two days later, according to the indictment, the Fattahs had their mortgage for the Poconos property approved. The two-story carriage house can serve as a separate residence for an in-law, aupair or guests. 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 President Barack Obama on the issue. The only poll conducted so far suggests Evans is in the lead, but theres a caveat: Evans, who didnt respond to a request for comment, paid for that poll. Committed to one day maybe six days after the primary, the scheduled start date of his trial fighting those criminal charges. So the feds say hesecured a $1 million loan from then-Sallie Mae CEO Al Lord a big no-no in campaign finance and then paid back $600,000 of itusing charitable and federal funds through his nonprofit the Educational Advancement Alliance. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Fattah was a former state lawmaker and Philadelphia official who was elected to Congress in 1994. Fattah supporters have raised questions about whether he received a fair trial, noting that one of the jurors was dismissed from the case. Fattah has introduced a few bills targeting the equity of resource allocation within and between school districts. I kind of want to leave it there.". He says hes just fine garnering the support. When you get someone whos invested 10 or 20 years, and theyre in there and bringing resources back, it doesnt really make sense to get rid of them., The congressman has never won less than 85 percent of the vote in the general, and in 2000 he defeateda Libertarian by garnering an unheard-of 98 percent of the vote. Labeled as "Person E" throughout the 85-page indictment, Chenault-Fattah, one of the station's most visible personalities and anchor of the 4 and 6 p.m. broadcasts, is portrayed as a participant in a scheme to falsely report the sale of her 1989 Porsche Carrera convertible to a lobbyist for $18,000. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. was indicted on federal corruption charges on Wednesday in connection with fraud around his unsuccessful 2007 campaign for mayor of Philadelphia. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress . Former Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks from the federal courthouse on Monday after his sentencing hearing in Philadelphia. 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. ( Photo via Facebook ), California residents do not sell my data request. The estimated pension is at least $55,000 per year. Fattah was convicted in June on a number of federal corruption charges, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, and filing false statements. "And when it's all said and done, I would like for the story to be, 'We miss you on TV. A subsequent Philadelphia Daily News investigation revealed that nonprofits receiving federal funding and connected to Fattah paid out over $5.8 million to Fattah allies and alleged that many of these payments were ethically dubious. Fattahs third wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, is a former Philadelphia television news broadcaster. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! As he awaited his sentence, Fattah said he had mixed emotions: saddened to find himself in court but grateful for the work he was able to do. He received an MA from The John Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in 1984 and a Master of Governmental Administration (MGA) at the University of Pennsylvanias Fels Institute of State and Local Government in 1986. This was her first interview since her husband's conviction, so I asked her about that not that I could get her to say much about Chaka, his legal case or the infamous 1989 Porsche that prosecutors alleged was a cover for a bribe from a lobbyist. Committed to fair housing. The bill died without attracting any co-sponsor. But now, with about two months to go before the primary, three challengers have emerged: Longtime Northwest Philly state Rep. Dwight Evans, Lower Merion Township Commissioner Brian Gordon and ward leader Dan Muroff. He previously served in the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Vederman wrote back to Fattah, "love to purchase" the car, according to the indictment, and later wired $18,000 to Fattah. The only poll conducted so far suggests Evans is in the lead, but theres a caveat: Evans, who didnt respond to a request for comment. The reason we must take an educated guess? Sure, Fattahis still a member of several subcommittees that handle appropriations. In the 2011-12 election period, he spent $162,000 while the average winner of a House seat spent 10 times that, some $1.6 million. Theyre from the White House, The New York Times, The Inquirer, The Times of Israel. His father said hes spoken to his son, who is looking forward to appealing his own federal case. Two of Fattah's political consultants and accomplices pleaded guilty and testified against him. The program promotes college attendance among the nations most impoverished students. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. He says the work he wants to complete will take him another decade. Wisely, Chenault-Fattah, now 60, decided to stick to what she's known for, which is telling stories. The Pennsylvania Democrats son, Chaka Fattah Jr., is already in prison on bank and tax fraud charges. But their real-life fairy tale turned into a nightmare in 2015 after the feds indicted and later convicted Chaka Fattah of racketeering, bribery, money laundering, and fraud. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. The latest property being unloaded in the Disgraced Pol Hit Parade went on the market last Tuesday. For these additional counts, Fattah was again sentenced to 10 years of incarceration on July 12, 2019. In May 1986, he received his master's degree in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! Fattah and his wife, Renee Chenault Fattah, also allegedly used bribery proceeds to "close on a vacation home" in the Poconos by falsely disguising an . Chaka Fattah with Obama aide Valerie Jarrett on Air Force One. "[That] has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. 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. His wife, former NBC 10 anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, was labeled as "Person E" in his indictment; she is accused of being a participant in falsely reporting the sale of her Porsche to a . Congressman Chaka Fattah's wife, NBC10 News Anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah responds to allegations detailed in a Federal Indictment against her husband. And Im going to leave it to others to figure out everybodys motives.. 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. And his family has fallen with him. The jury in his case found the congressman took an illegal $1 million loan to prop up a failed 2007 run for Philadelphia mayor. He says at least 25 million people have been impacted by his programs (there are 715,000 people in hisdistrict, 1.5 million in Philadelphiaand 12.8 million in the state), and that there isnt a single person in the citywho has not been touched in some significant, positive way by something he put in place. But money more oftendoes. Prosecutors say he also used $27,000 in charity funds to pay down his son's college loans and took an $18,000 bribe to help a friend become an ambassador. HEMAP is a loan program designed to protect Pennsylvanians who, through no fault of their own, are financially unable to make their mortgage payments and are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. The couple, married in 2001, have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. Congressional pensions are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. She was cited in the case over the sham sale of her Porsche,. His political life. The congressman's wife, NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, was not in the courtroom. He even lobbied President Barack Obama on the friends behalf, to no avail. Fattah won his first election in 1982 by 58 votes , defeating a party-favored incumbent for the 192nd house seat in the Pennsylvania . Richardson Dilworth, a professor of politics and the director of Drexels Center for Public Policy (and, yes, grandson of the former mayor), observed that Fattah has great name recognition in his district, andsaid hes not convinced his indictment is going hurt him much at the polls. 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. Fattah insists the Justice Department, though led by fellow Democrats, has been out to get him and his family for years. The taskforce included both liberal and conservative Democrats, gun owners and Representatives from various cities. He challenged the FBI's focus on his wife . But a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in McDonnell v. United States a few days later changed the legal definition of bribery to exclude "pay for access and Fattah appealed his conviction, placing his sentencing on hold. They have two school-age children. 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. All rights reserved. So heres whatprosecutors say happened: Fattah and four of his close associates were indicted by federal prosecutors with the Department of Justice in July after they poked around in the congressmans finances for the better part of eight years. The trial was originally scheduled for May 2, 2016, but in April a judge had the date pushed back to May 16 to give the defendants time to review the excess of more than 100,000 documents accrued by the prosecution. Ironically, Fattah says that one day he hopes his legacy in Philadelphia is not about his success at the polls or the elections hes won or even about his prominence in the Washington Democratic establishment, but rather, he says, about what hes done for his constituents and for the country. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. With regard to the governments cross-appeal, the Court of Appeals reinstated certain counts that had been dismissed by the District Court post-trial. NBC10's Deanna Durante explains how. One man standing outside a barbershopon Lancaster Avenue put it this way: We keep supporting these people, keep electing them, but they always end up doing dumb shit.Many are concerned Fattah is just another in a long line of political figures exposed of beinginvolved in shady dealings. But this is only part of the story. In 2007 Fattah launched an unsuccessful bid for Mayor of Philadelphia. On July 12, 2019, a Philadelphia judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in federal prison for public corruption. He won the general election with 86% of the vote. Fattah, a Democrat formerly representing Pennsylvanias second congressional district, was found guilty in June 2016. After that, he was re-elected every two years with at least 86% of the vote. But she was less open to talking about her incarcerated husband, former U.S. Fattah grew up in Philadelphia, attending Overbrook High School and the Community College of Philadelphia. Fattah represented the 2nd district in Pennsylvania, an overwhelmingly Democratic district, in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2016. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Or rather, Chaka and Renee. From the outside, things seem painfulfor Fattahs family. I got to ask former WCAU-TV anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah anything I wanted about Alzheimer's disease. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He brings up that former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush spent $136 million compared to Donald Trumps $11 million. While you have done much good, you also engaged in grave and widespread criminal activity, Bartle added. Two of Fattahs political consultants pleaded guilty in the case and testified against him. From 1995 to 2016, Fattah served as the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvanias 2nd Congressional District. He talks about how charges were dropped againsta Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy. 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. Suddenly, the popular broadcaster was a stay-at-home mom with a whole lot of time on her hands and a non-compete clause that sidelined her for a least a year. The latest bill places more focus on eliminating the federal debt. 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.. 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. . 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. 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. We will update Chaka Fattah's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. In 2009, Fattah introduced a fourth bill to require having a study conducted, H.R. He resigned from Congress two days later. The FBI spent years investigating Fattah, and it long looked as if he would escape federal indictment. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Still, as he faces years behind bars, Fattahsfighting to keep his seat inthe Democratic primary on April 26. The spacious main residence is in excellent shape and retains most of its Old English charm. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. DeSantis family unwinds on horseback at Houston Rodeo ahead of governor's speech, Marianne Williamson launches campaign against Biden, vows to fight 'forces of hatred, injustice and fear', Haley blasts both Democrats and fellow Republicans, including Trump, over exploding national debt, Sen. Cornyn challenges Biden to enforce existing asylum law as Dems' 'open borders base' rails against admin. In the late 1990s she broadcast segments on her own pregnancy, which was achieved through anonymous artificial insemination. Congressman Chaka Fattah, November 20, 2014. Congressman Chaka Fattah. In the middle of Kelly territory, this 1930 Cotswold-style home lets you live the life of grace. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison and began serving his term at the Federal Correctional Institution, McKean, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017. The Congressman has an older son, Chaka Fattah, Jr., also a politician, who was convicted of felony bank and tax fraud in February 2016. Fattah's wife, longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah and their two daughters were not charged. The jury convicted him of leading a five-person racketeering enterprise that included the loyal aides and political consultants who did his bidding, comingling campaign, nonprofit and government funds and using them as directed for Fattahs personal and political needs. He touted the possibility that such a system would bring in so much money it would allow for greatly increased federal spending, saying the "excess funds" would "provide universal health care, support an equitable public school finance system, and fund economic development in urban and rural areas," in addition to extinguishing the national debt and eliminating all other federal taxes. After 30 years of working first as a Wall Street lawyer and later a TV broadcaster, she had to figure out what her third act would be. Credit NBC10. 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. Its very hard he said. But she fought to keep the figure private during her husband's mayoral run in 2007, and his federal financial disclosure reports do not specify how much she earns. State Senator with National Vision. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. "Almost every chronic illness hits us harder," she said, referring to African Americans. He is a member of famous with the age 66 years old group. How are they doing? Sometimes when youre flying on Air Force One and some corporate CEO is waiting to greet you and introduce you and this and that, but theyre really not talking to you. 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. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Chaka Fattah Jr., Frances Fattah, Chandler Faith Fattah, Cameron Chenault. 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. Fattah resigned from office on June 23, 2016, following a racketeering conviction. (The government thereafter announced its intention not to retry those counts.) 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. Chenault-Fattah, who is also a lawyer, spent 25 years with WCAU-TV before she resigned after the indictment named her a participant in the bribery scheme. He doesnt have any relationships, she told The Inquirer at the time. I wouldnt trade for a day some very well-meaning, well-intentioned person who might be at the pillar of the citys civic leadership for having working families stay with me.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Committed to youth mentorship. 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 also wrote the legislation for the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). And above all, he can say that theres essentially no chance someone who beats him in the election would, as a freshman congressman, earn a seat on appropriations. 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. His wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah (m. 2001) Chaka Fattah Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. Fattah, who began his career in the Pennsylvania statehouse and entered Congress in 1995, lost the spring Democratic primary days before his trial began and resigned after his conviction in June. Congress works off seniority. The Emergency Homeowners Loan Program provides up to 24 months of assistance, through bridge loans, for distressed homeowners and is a scaled-up version of the HEMAP program. 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. Phillys mayoral candidates are tiptoeing onto TikTok. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman, is married to longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah. His candidacy announcement took place next to the recently completed Microsoft School of the Future in the city's Parkside neighborhood to emphasize his campaign platform of better educational opportunities for city youth. "And that's something that a large segment of the population is not aware of. 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. He publicly supported the Bring Our Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Act a bill that called for bringing the troops home within six months and transitioning the Iraqis to self-government. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange firearms for vouchers for groceries or other goods. WASHINGTON -- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.) These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. His parents divorced, and his mother married David Fattah, changed her name to Falaka Fattah, and changed her sons name as well. Fattah served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 192nd district from 1983 to 1988, and as a State Senator for the 7th district from 1988 to 1994. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. Though the house dates only to 1930, theres some history behind this plot: the estate was once part of a much larger 10-acre one dating to the 1700s that stretched from School House Lane all the way to Coulter Street. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. Fattah spent two decades in Congress before losing the primary this year. Chaka Fattah (Arthur Davenport) was born on 21 November, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. However, the law was riddled with loopholes, leaving convicted felons to collect taxpayer-funded pensions. 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. Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks after leaving the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 21. Do you find this information helpful? "If you're black or Hispanic, you're twice as likely to be impacted by this disease," Chenault-Fattah told me. Fattah has said he will appeal his conviction and sentence. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. First published on December 12, 2016 / 12:36 PM. Renee Chenault-Fattah, wife of the indicted Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), was not charged by federal authorities Wednesday - but the longtime NBC10 anchor did not escape the U.S. attorney's charging document. Fattah insists the Justice Department racketeering case is politically motivated. He was ordered to report to prison by Jan. 25, 2017. They say Fattah and his allies ran not one, but several schemes, that misappropriated funds and helped him further his own political and financial interests. Fattah endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008. Legal Statement. [Hes]got an incredible social network. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III told Fattah in January:You need to take this matter seriously and think long and hard about your priorities., The charges Fattah denies are what hesomehow calls a clarifying moment., Sometimes when youre flying on Air Force One and some corporate CEO is waiting to greet you and introduce you and this and that, but theyre really not talking to you. Born in Philadelphia on November 21, 1956, Chaka Fattah grew up with political ideas and even developed his own political propaganda for other candidates at the age of 14. Voting ina new congressman would be, in his words, a Chip Kelly trade something that, roughly speaking, changes the team but for the worse. Since 2006, Fattah has pioneered gun-buyback programs in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Police. Renee Chenault-Fattah, wife of the indicted Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), was not charged by federal authorities Wednesday - but the longtime NBC10 anchor did not escape the U.S. attorney's charging document. 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. 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]. "Our family misses and loves him. Property records indicate the house, near the Delaware River north of Milford, has about 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms, a fireplace, and a deck. He talks about how former Mayor Michael Nutter spent about a third of whatbusinessman Tom Knox did in the 2007 mayoral race. 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. Federal agents also saw the car in Fattah's garage in March 2014, the indictment says, more than two years after the transaction supposedly occurred. Strategistswidely believe he has the most name recognitionin the field (absent the incumbent), as well as the most cashand a handful of top Philadelphia and state politicians standing behind him who are willing to throw in public support and money for ads.
