Philadelphia Is Corrupt And Contented Still

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia (seen in the above photo) offers a piece on four political corruption cases in the Philadelphia area at bigtrial.net

Opening statements are scheduled for Monday in yet another Philadelphia political corruption trial. 

Call this politics, payoffs and a Porsche and put lame duck Congressman Chaka Fattah Sr. at center stage. Fattah, who was defeated in the Democratic Party primary earlier this month, is in the final year of a congressional career that began in 1995.

The trial that opens Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Harvey Bartle 3d will determine whether he begins his retirement wearing a prison jump suit.

"I'm not sure how he's going to explain some of this," said a source familiar with the case. "It's going to take some gyrations."

The 29-count indictment handed up in July charged Fattah and four co-defendants with conspiracy, bribery and fraud. The government alleges that the congressman played fast and loose with federal grants and other earmarked funds, using them to pay off personal and campaign debts, including $600,000 that was spent on his failed Philadelphia mayoral campaign in 2007.
The trial is one of four political corruption cases generating headlines.
... The misdirection of funds, albeit on a much smaller scale, appears to be at the heart of the case against Larry Farnese as well.

The indictment announced on Tuesday alleges that in 2011 he made a $6,000 donation to Bard College to help fund a study abroad semester for the daughter of a Democrat committeewoman whose vote he needed to insure his election as ward leader

...This is the same district once represented by Vincent J. Fumo and before Fumo by Henry J. "Buddy" Cianfrani. Both were convicted of serious corruption charges.

Now  Farnese holds that seat. 

Maybe an indictment comes with the territory.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2016/05/chaka-fattah-heads-to-court.html#more

Note: I live in the 1st District and Fumo, Cianfrani and Farnese are and were my state reps.

You can read my Crime Beat column on earlier Philadelphia political corruption scandals via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2010/07/politicians-dubious-prison-sentence-bug.html