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. 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. After Congress tightened ethics laws, convicted members of Congress were supposed to lose federal pensions. Theyre both expected to start spending soon on television ads to increase name recognition in the district. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 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. Theyre from the White House, The New York Times, The Inquirer, The Times of Israel. On August 9, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia overturned Fattah's bribery convictions. He won landslide after landslide every two years since 1994 without facing a formidable opponent once in the Democratic primary, and certainly not in the general election. ET. They have two school-age children. 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. Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. By Fattahs own assessment, he could soonhold the purse strings of a nation in his hands. Andthe Department of Justice contends its investigators werent unfairly targeting the congressman. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. 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. He added: I dont think that not having somebody on the appropriations committee disenfranchises the city.. This is my tuition and tax credit program this has helped millions of families. The long-running criminal scheme was related to paying back a loan from Fattahs unsuccessful run for Philadelphia mayor in 2007. On Monday, U.S. District Judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in prison. He is stepfather to her daughter Cameron Chenault. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. In 1994, Fattah decided to challenge Blackwell in the Democratic primary. 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. And I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that," she told me. Fattah's wife, longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah and their two daughters were not charged. 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. Fattah was once a shoo-in for his seat representing the second congressional district, one of the poorest in the nation and the only district in Pennsylvania with a majority black residency. Now all of a sudden he wants to run for mayor and he shows up dispensing checks. 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. 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. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. Some are fromhis own office. "Whether it's diabetes, whether it's heart disease, strokes across the board.". The reason we must take an educated guess? Chaka Fattah 1956 . 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. Fattah supporters have raised questions about whether he received a fair trial, noting that one of the jurors was dismissed from the case. Chaka Fattahs income source is mostly from being a successful . Chaka Fattah is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Legal Statement. She has anchored each of the network's prime-time newscasts, including the 11 p.m. news, which she hosted with Larry Mendte from 1997 to 2003. 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. 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. Committed to funding neuroscience research. From the outside, things seem painfulfor Fattahs family. In 2005, Fattah introduced the bill again with H.R. 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. Its the former home of Congressman Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah, a 2.6-acre estate tucked away on a quiet lane in East Falls. The Fattahs were buying a vacation home in Shohola, Pa., the indictment says, and had agreed to pay just over $19,000 in settlement costs at closing. Fattah grew up in Philadelphia, attending Overbrook High School and the Community College of Philadelphia. Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. 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. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman, is married to longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman,. When charges came down last summer, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. "And when it's all said and done, I would like for the story to be, 'We miss you on TV. Upon entering the political world at age 25, he became a lawmaker and served six years as Pennsylvania state representative, followed by six years as state senator. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. But the icing on this crooked cake is that Fattah is collecting a taxpayer-funded pension. He says hes just fine garnering the support of the full Democratic city committee and the endorsement of unions likethe Service Employees International Union and AFSCME district council 33. 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. She's done with that. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Its main floor features a living room and great room on either side of a central fireplace, a modern kitchen, a TV room with powder room and a laundry. [But] there are lots of people he hasnt done favors for, too. But this time around, she intends to be an advocate forcauses about which she's passionate. 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. "Asking for $18,000 which is a steal.". 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 spacious main residence is in excellent shape and retains most of its Old English charm. The Fattahs used the cash to help buy a $425,000 vacation house in the Poconos, the indictment says, but Chenault-Fattah kept the Porsche - and even renewed its registration and took it to an auto shop months after signing the title over to the lobbyist, Herbert Vederman. Theyre both expected to start spending soon on television ads to increase name recognition in the district. 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 . Wheres he been?, Love Philly? 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. 1579. 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. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. Fattah and several of his co-defendants, who include former campaign and congressional aides, obtained an illegal $1 million loan for him during the 2007 mayors race. 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. Chaka Fattah's net worth But money more oftendoes. In May 1986, he received his master's degree in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. Market data provided by Factset. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. 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. His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband's indictment and then quit in February. 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. Congressman William Gray decided to resign. This dominance. Sources. 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. 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. 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. Convicted Former Congressman Still Draws Estimated $1 Million Federal Lifetime Pension. Legal Statement. 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. 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. Thats at least four more elections to win. The FBI spent years investigating Fattah, and it long looked as if he would escape federal indictment. "My dad died from pancreatic cancer. He won a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he was able to steer millions of dollars in earmarks back home. And for a while, it looked as if it was just that. In 2007 Fattah launched an unsuccessful bid for Mayor of Philadelphia. With that said, endorsements can sometimes help win elections. On November 5, 1991, City Councilman Lucien Edward Blackwell won the election with a plurality of 39% of the vote defeating Fattah (28%), John F. White (28%), and Nadine Smith-Bulford (5%). . They told authorities the money covered the friends purchase of a Porsche owned by Fattahs wife, but the Porsche never left their garage. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. And his family has fallen with him. Fattah has also added a 1 percent tax credit designed to eliminate the impact of the measure on couples making less than $250,000 a year. He says hes just fine garnering the support. But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. In November 2006, he declared his candidacy for Mayor of Philadelphia, where two-term incumbent Mayor John F. Street was barred from re-election by term limits, amid pressure from Democratic voters to keep his Congressional seat in order to maintain a Philadelphia representative on the powerful Appropriations Committee in the House. In addition, Fattah received bribes from Herbert Vederman, a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia who served as an aide to his mayoral campaign. 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. WASHINGTON -- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.) The Philadelphia Democrat, who was first elected to . 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. The #WasteOfTheDay is presented by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com. The Congressman has an older son, Chaka Fattah, Jr., also a politician, who was convicted of felony bank and tax fraud in February 2016. | AP Photo. 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. Fattah, a Democrat formerly representing Pennsylvanias second congressional district, was found guilty in June 2016. . The biggest deal is: What did you do?, Nice to see you. Congressman Chaka Fattah's wife, NBC10 News Anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah responds to allegations detailed in a Federal Indictment against her husband. Chaka Fattah (Arthur Davenport) was born on 21 November, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. We're sorry what happened to your family, but isn't it great that you went on to use your voice to do something which makes an impact around this issue of Alzheimer's.' 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. 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. Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., who never finished college, was convicted of using fraudulently obtained business loans to fund his jet-set lifestyle. Social Activism Brings a Name Change. People got to be real careful about taking out a guy like that, State Sen. Vincent Hughes, a longtime Fattah supporter, said last June. For 16 minutes, the 59-year-old describes each one in varying detail. His wife, former NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, though not charged in his case, saw her career end this year after she was linked to the sham sale in 2012 of her Porsche convertible, a transaction prosecutors said was intended to cover up a bribe to her husband. 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. The bill has national support from co-op and EOB advocates and members. But Fattah says hes also more committed now than he ever has been. 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. Evans has already been endorsed by both Gov. 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. He then served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1982 to 1988 and the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1988 to 1994. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange firearms for vouchers for groceries or other goods. A lawyer before she became a journalist, Chenault-Fattah is said to earn a substantial salary from NBC10. The younger Fattah is serving a five-year sentence. Fattah insists the Justice Department racketeering case is politically motivated. Two days later, according to the indictment, the Fattahs had their mortgage for the Poconos property approved. His parents divorced, and his mother married David Fattah, changed her name to Falaka Fattah, and changed her sons name as well. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Chaka-Fattah-Jr-Fraud-Sentencing-Federal-Court-367332741.html, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chaka-fattah-former-pennsylvania-congressman-10-years-prison-corruption/, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Renee Chenault-Fattah. Time Magazine named Fattah one of the 50 most promising leaders in the country. He then repaid some of it with federal grant money from NASA that he had steered to an education nonprofit run by loyal former staffers. 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.. Fattah spent two decades in Congress before losing the primary this year. 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 underrepresented graduate students studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM fields). Chenault-Fattah started with NBC10 in 1991, according to her biography on the station's website.
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