Politician. Since 2011, the Congressman was able to negotiate an increase of $30M to investment in DOJ programs that fund groups including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Theres no better time to kick a candidate than when hes down. Chaka Fattah's income source is mostly from being a successful . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. While a court of appeals in 2018 threw out some of the bribery from Fattahs conviction, a judge last year kept his 10-year sentence intact. 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. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. All rights reserved. Fattah's third wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, is a former Philadelphia television news broadcaster. 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? "Almost every chronic illness hits us harder," she said, referring to African Americans. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman,. The kitchen is totally up-to-date with the requisite granite countertops, stainless steel high-end appliances, and island workspace. Social Activism Brings a Name Change. 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. 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. Fattah eventually came in fourth in the Democratic primary, close behind fellow Congressman Bob Brady but well behind former city councilman Michael Nutter, who went on to win the fall general election handily. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. 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. However, the listing agent states that most of the information about this property in public records is inaccurate and that a recentlycompleted survey of the property is available. 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. 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. Chaka Fattah was born Arthur Davenport on November 21, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Arthur Davenport and Frances Brown. With regard to the governments cross-appeal, the Court of Appeals reinstated certain counts that had been dismissed by the District Court post-trial. State Rep. Brian Sims declared himself a challenger, then dropped out before filing day. Co-ops have a broad base and connection to community in the Philadelphia area. "[That] has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. 3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129 [Connie Gillespie | ElfantWissahickon Realtors], Philadelphia Shops and Resources Thatll Help Outfit Your Dream Home Office Space, The Most Walkable Philadelphia Suburbs and Neighborhoods. He announced his immediate resignation from Congress two days later, on June 23. Dianna Marder, Party Politics: Fattah, Chenault exchange vows with help from their children, the congressman and news anchor held a big church wedding,The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 8, 2001, Congressman Chaka Fattahs son taken off to serve years in prison for fraud,NBCPhiladelphia.com, February 2, 2016,https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Chaka-Fattah-Jr-Fraud-Sentencing-Federal-Court-367332741.html; Bill Clark, Chaka Fattah former Pennsylvania congressman gets 10 years in federal prison for corruption, CBSNews.com, December 12, 2016,https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chaka-fattah-former-pennsylvania-congressman-10-years-prison-corruption/. Thats at least four more elections to win. 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. Sources. 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. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 21 November. 1601, and again in 2007 with H.R. Evans is the challenger who could do the most damage to Fattahs campaign for re-election. Since 2006, Fattah has pioneered gun-buyback programs in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Police. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. According to local lore, this cottage once served as a way station for hunters. 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. "After this, I would like to do something around cancer in our community," she said. President Obama has called for making the tax credit permanent. The FBI further alleged that Fattah accepted an $18,000 bribe from a man seeking an ambassadorship. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From 1995 to 2016, Fattah served as the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvanias 2nd Congressional District. I got to ask former WCAU-TV anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah anything I wanted about Alzheimer's disease. Thats an area where Evans whos successfully stumped for other candidates across the state has him beat. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Upstairs youll find three bedrooms and a full bath. Credit NBC10. After Fattah rattles off his accomplishments, he draws comparisons to others he says were unfairly targeted by law enforcement. Their older daughter, Cameron, is a freshman at Johns Hopkins University. Congressman Chaka Fattah's wife, NBC10 News Anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah responds to allegations detailed in a Federal Indictment against her husband. With other women, he is the father of another daughter, Frances ("Fran"), and one son, Chaka Fattah Jr., known as "Chip", who was convicted of felony bank and tax fraud in February 2016. Some are fromhis own office. Even though she's been off the air for almost three years, people still recognize Chenault-Fattah when she's out and about and question her about when she'll be back on air. Chenault-Fattah is focusing her attention on Alzheimer's disease and the disproportionate way it affects people of color. The latest property being unloaded in the Disgraced Pol Hit Parade went on the market last Tuesday. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. 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. U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr., Of Philadelphia, Indicted On Corruption Updated at 3:25 p.m. / CBS/AP. The latest property being unloaded in the Disgraced Pol Hit Parade went on the market last Tuesday. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! As a member of Pennsylvanias state House Fattah wrote and passed into law Pennsylvanias Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP). 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. 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. Chenault-Fattah, who is also a lawyer,. What hewilladmit: Raising cash for re-election while under the cloud of federal indictmenthas been a struggle. 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. Chaka Fattah 1956 . Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah convicted in racketeering case But the icing on this crooked cake is that Fattah is collecting a taxpayer-funded pension. 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. If youve ever dreamed of living like a baron for less than a million bucks, nows your chance: the Fattahs loss is your gain. 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. Chaka Fattah's net worth Thats as he continues to collect his pension, as no member of Congress has ever been stripped of their pension. Theyre from the White House. They have two school-age children. 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. All rights reserved. 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 . He was sentenced on Dec. 12, 2016 to 10 years in prison and he reported to Federal Correctional Institution, McKean on Jan. 25, 2017. 2451. 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. Wisely, Chenault-Fattah, now 60, decided to stick to what she's known for, which is telling stories. Fattah received an F rating from the National Rifle Association and an A+ rating from the Coalition on Gun Violence and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence for his positions on gun control. 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. Andthe Department of Justice contends its investigators werent unfairly targeting the congressman. They have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. In 2002, he introduced the "Student Bill of Rights", H.R. 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. Still, as he faces years behind bars, Fattahsfighting to keep his seat inthe Democratic primary on April 26. Bartle ordered Fattah to pay . Philly congressman Chaka Fattah dismissive of - The Morning Call He reported for prison at Federal Correctional Institution, McKean near Lewis Run, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017. Meanwhile, Evans had $303,000 on hand and Muroff had $208,000. The measure calls for States to provide highly effective teachers, early childhood education, college prep curricula and equitable instructional resources to all students who attend public schools. 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. 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. Fattahs criminal acts were part of a years-long scheme related to his unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Philadelphia. "People will say, 'We miss seeing you on TV and it's such a shame what happened to your husband and your family," Chenault-Fattah said. All the while he did it with his own little West Philadelphia political machine, with the support ofpeople like Hughes and Councilwoman Cindy Bass. Anecdotally, from what Ive seen, I wouldnt count him as the most popular of Philadelphia politicians., Retired Councilwoman Marian Tasco didnt mince words in 2006 when Fattah was in the process of running for mayor. At 66 years old, Chaka Fattah height not available right now. 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 served on the Appropriations Committee and on several subcommittees. He says hes just fine garnering the support. Fattah insists the Justice Department racketeering case is politically motivated. Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. 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. 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). The four others convicted at trial will be sentenced later this week. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Voting ina new congressman would be, in his words, a Chip Kelly trade something that, roughly speaking, changes the team but for the worse. Fattahs third wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, is a former Philadelphia television news broadcaster. "My dad died from pancreatic cancer. But she was less open to talking about her incarcerated husband, former U.S. Chaka Fattah | Encyclopedia.com 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 . The 22-year Congressman, indicted on federal corruption charges, grants a rare interview as he faces an unprecedented challenge. Both bills died without any action being taken. In May 1986, he received his master's degree in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. Congressman Chaka Fattah. has allowed him to spend little on campaigning. Fattah and the other co-conspirators submitted false billing statements to his mayoral campaign in order to keep the loan secret. 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. ", She added, "This is a disease that has no effective treatment and no cure.". On the basis of this ruling, Fattah appealed his conviction in October 2016, placing his sentencing on hold. They told authorities the money covered the friends purchase of a Porsche owned by Fattahs wife, but the Porsche never left their garage. 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. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Legal Statement. Chaka Fattah of racketeering, bribery, money laundering, and fraud. Theyre both expected to start spending soon on television ads to increase name recognition in the district. Fattah was the lead Democrat responsible for the funding of the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney General. But this time around, she intends to be an advocate forcauses about which she's passionate. "This is an extraordinarily difficult day for me and my family. Vederman wrote back to Fattah, "love to purchase" the car, according to the indictment, and later wired $18,000 to Fattah. Committed to fair housing. 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. 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. Committed to youth mentorship. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. He was convicted on 23 counts of racketeering, fraud, and other corruption charges on June 21, 2016, and resigned two days later. Chenault-Fattah, 57, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. 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. On February 23, 2010, Fattah reintroduced the bill as the "Debt Free America Act," (H.R. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange firearms for vouchers for groceries or other goods. He can tout his role in passing the Affordable Care Act. He brings up that former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush spent $136 million compared to Donald Trumps $11 million. He had eight siblings and seven of them died from different forms of cancer". He talks about how charges were dropped againsta Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. While in the U.S. House of Representatives. Fattah sentenced to 10 years in prison - POLITICO Some of the earliest charges stem from Fattahs failed bid for Philadelphia mayor in 2007, when his early lead was dwindling just weeks before the primary and he was running low on cash. 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. Though Fattah was reportedlyunder investigation by the Department of Justice for eight years, it took charges on racketeering and bribery for challengers to come forward. 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. His wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah (m. 2001) Chaka Fattah Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison. "I had talked to a coworker this past summer, but would much rather it be in your possession," she wrote, according to the indictment. (Of note: Fattah came in fourth in that race. Advertisement He resigned from Congress two days later. 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. Since 2011, it has assisted 4.5million students and their families. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. The feds also claim that in 2008, Fattah triedto secure an ambassadorship forlobbyist Herbert Vederman, one of the co-defendants. 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. On July 12, 2019, a Philadelphia judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in federal prison for public corruption. Fattah was challenged by Republican nominee Robert Allen Mansfield, Jr. and Independent candidate and publisher of the Germantown Newspapers, Jim Foster. 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. On August 9, 2018, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit overturned Fattahs bribery convictions. Fattah and his wife used the $18,000 for a down payment on a Poconos vacation home. When charges came down last summer, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. While you have done much good, you also engaged in grave and widespread criminal activity, Bartle added. A source speculated to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the decision could be tied to coronavirus concerns. Anna Orso was a reporter/curator at Billy Penn from 2014 to 2017. On August 9, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia overturned Fattah's bribery convictions. "And when it's all said and done, I would like for the story to be, 'We miss you on TV. He previously served in the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.