The quick rise and slow fall of Chaka Fattah: A career that started 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. When former WCAU-TV co-anchor Renee Chenault wedded former Congressman Chaka Fattah in 2001, the Daily News proclaimed theirs the marriage of a century. Experts seem to agree that prosecutors have their hands full trying to prove theircharges because of a long paper trail (900,000 pages of government evidence) that will have to be nailed down in court. 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. On July 12, 2019, a Philadelphia judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in federal prison for public corruption. Fattahs wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, was implicated in the indictment against the congressman and nolonger sits at the anchor deskat NBC 10 where she worked for nearly 25years. 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. 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's 10-year-prison sentence falls below the federal advisory guidelines, a range that Bartle said ran 15 years and eight months to 19 years and seven months. Former Pa. Congressman Chaka Fattah Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison He's doing well. The congressman's wife, NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, was not in the courtroom. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. A jury has decided that based on the evidence presented to them that I am guilty of charges presented by the government. 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. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. He doesnt have any relationships, she told The Inquirer at the time. For these additional counts, Fattah was again sentenced to 10 years of incarceration on July 12, 2019. State Rep. Brian Sims declared himself a challenger, then dropped out before filing day. the Service Employees International Union, spent about a third of whatbusinessman Tom Knox did, a Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy, Experts seem to agree that prosecutors have their hands full, 5 things to know about Joanna McClinton, Pa.s first Black woman House speaker, How to get on the primary ballot in Philly (and why candidates get kicked off), What should Philly mayoral candidates answer about public safety? On February 23, 2010, Fattah reintroduced the bill as the "Debt Free America Act," (H.R. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman, is married to longtime Philadelphia news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah. 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. He says the work he wants to complete will take him another decade. Philly congressman Chaka Fattah dismissive of - The Morning Call People got to be real careful about taking out a guy like that, State Sen. Vincent Hughes, a longtime Fattah supporter, Congress works off seniority. Updated: 12/12/2016 12:02 PM EST. A handful of names circulated, from District Attorney Seth Williams to now former Mayor Michael Nutter. 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). He's currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, Evans had $303,000 on hand and Muroff had $208,000. 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. "And when it's all said and done, I would like for the story to be, 'We miss you on TV. 3759) which proposed to have the U.S. Treasury conduct a one-year feasibility study of a 1 percent transaction fee imposed on transactions made at any financial institution. By misusing campaign funds, misappropriating government funds, accepting bribes, and committing bank fraud, as alleged in the Indictment, Congressman Fattah and his co-conspirators have betrayed the public trust and undermined faith in government.. 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. Congressman Chaka Fattah and Associates Charged with Participating in 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. Thats an area where Evans whos successfully stumped for other candidates across the state has him beat. Theyre from the White House. These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Anna Orso was a reporter/curator at Billy Penn from 2014 to 2017. According to local lore, this cottage once served as a way station for hunters. The longtime northwest Philadelphia state politician has friends in both Philadelphia and state politics, including Tasco, who has a reputation for being able to whip up a significant amount of votes, has built relationships and is not a divisive figure., Fattah, frankly, doesnt care about the politicians who have backed his most well-knownopponent. He added: I dont think that not having somebody on the appropriations committee disenfranchises the city.. How are they doing? Former Congressman Chaka Fattah sentenced to 10 years in prison for In 2005, Fattah introduced the bill again with H.R. 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. Evans has already been endorsed by both Gov. This was a significant decrease from the 2012 election, when Fattah received 302,746 votes, more votes than any other member of the House of Representatives for that election. His parents divorced, and his mother married David Fattah, changed her name to Falaka Fattah, and changed her sons name as well. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. Rep. Chaka Fattah was indicted Wednesday on racketeering charges tied to a host of public corruption schemes, the Department of Justice said. 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. A spokeswoman for NBC10, Shawn Feddeman, said the station had no comment. 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. Ambition Is an Asset. makes sure to note, too, that Sims raised $230,000 to challenge him for Congressthis year and didnt make it to filing day. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Market data provided by Factset. His wife, Philadelphia TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, took a leave after her husband's indictment and then quit in February. "I had talked to a coworker this past summer, but would much rather it be in your possession," she wrote, according to the indictment. 'I'm as innocent as you': Chaka Fattah on his re-election fight and the Your donation is fully tax-deductible. She's done with that. She is on leave from her anchor job. "Our family misses and loves him. The couple, married in 2001, have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. The FBI spent years investigating Fattah, and it long looked as if he would escape federal indictment. Fattah spent two decades in Congress before losing the primary this year. In 1991, State Senator Fattah decided to run for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district in the special election that was held after Democratic U.S. 1601, and again in 2007 with H.R. 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 Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Fattah, a Democrat formerly representing Pennsylvanias second congressional district, was found guilty in June 2016. / CBS/AP. In the 2016 election, Fattah was ousted in the Democratic primarythe real contest in his heavily Democratic, black-majority districtto state representative Dwight Evans. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. Congressman Chaka Fattah, a Philadelphia Democrat, speaks to the center for American Progress in 2010. Legal Statement. 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. Wheres he been?, Love Philly? He can tout his role in passing the Affordable Care Act. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. 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. In 2009, Fattah introduced a fourth bill to require having a study conducted, H.R. Theyre kind of dealing with the position, Fattah said. Innocent until proven guilty has, predictably, become the congressmans mantra. 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. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother soon remarried to a man she met at a national conference on black power in 1968. I don't want to say anything about the case because it's being appealed. ( Photo via Facebook ), California residents do not sell my data request. Fattah sentenced to 10 years in prison - POLITICO 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. In November 2013, Fattah was invited to attend as Keynote speaker at the Annual Cooperatives Conference, hosted by the NCBA. Among the charges: Mail fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy, bribery and racketeering, which is essentially using a legit organization for illegal purposes. If you know Chaka, he is the eternal optimist. 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 Justice Department wanted Fattah incarcerated for 17 to 21 years. You abused your trust, time and time again.. Chaka Fattah (@ChakaFattah) | Twitter Fattah won his first election in 1982 by 58 votes , defeating a party-favored incumbent for the 192nd house seat in the Pennsylvania . Discover Chaka Fattah's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Chaka Fattah (1956- ) - BlackPast.org 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. The couple, married in 2001, have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. Despite the successes, the connections, the seniority and the support, hes a careerpolitician whos nearly out of campaign funds and who couldnt pay the lawyers defending him on charges of using public money and charity dollars to further his political career and line the pockets of hisassociates. Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks after leaving the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 21. 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. 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. In the 2014 election, Fattah received 181,141 votes, or 87.7% of the vote, to 25,397, or 12.3%, to his Republican opponent, Armond James, a school teacher with no prior political experience. 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. He talks about how former Mayor Michael Nutter spent about a third of whatbusinessman Tom Knox did in the 2007 mayoral race. 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. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. 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. They dont even have to believe in me. 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. 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. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 64 years old? 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. 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. The elder Fattah, 59, faces his own corruption trial before Bartle on May 2. Muroff, the past president of CeaseFire PAwhos taken up gun violence prevention as one of his primary causes, said he wouldnt diminish the importance of a district being represented ona powerful committee with control over spending, but noted that hes the only challenger with experience as a senior level legislative staff member in the federal government. And then Im going to continue my work in the Congress, he said. Renee Chenault-Fattah. Vederman wrote back to Fattah, "love to purchase" the car, according to the indictment, and later wired $18,000 to Fattah. 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. said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. And his family has fallen with him. Philadelphia news outlets have filed a motion to unseal court documents related to that dismissal. Fattah endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008. U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) was convicted Tuesday on federal racketeering and bribery charges, putting an ignominious stamp on the career of one of the region's longest-serving members of Congress and all but ensuring that his public life will be capped with a prison sentence. , money, salary, income, and assets. With that said, endorsements can sometimes help win elections. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. Two of Fattah's political consultants and accomplices pleaded guilty and testified against him. Chaka Fattah's net worth Office of Property Assessment records show the home was put in Renee Chenault-Fattahs name via a nominal transaction in 2006. But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. 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.. He says hes just fine garnering the support. Andthe Department of Justice contends its investigators werent unfairly targeting the congressman. He is from . The conference was designed to encourage minority students interest in STEM graduate and professional schools. His political life. Fattah, frankly, doesnt care about the politicians who have backed his most well-knownopponent. Politician. 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. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Outside of legislative work Fattah has created a few local education initiatives for Philadelphia and Pennsylvania families as a state legislator and in cooperation with state and municipal governments, including the CORE scholars program and the annual Grad Conference. 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