He talks about how charges were dropped againsta Temple professor recently accused ofbeing a Chinese spy. ButFattah says he wont dignify the charges by getting into the nitty-gritty. They have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. But this time around, she intends to be an advocate forcauses about which she's passionate. Weldon was investigated by the feds and never charged, but news of a probe may have cost him his seat. Fattah, frankly, doesnt care about the politicians who have backed his most well-knownopponent. A jury this year found that Fattah took an illegal $1 million loan from a wealthy friend to prop up his failed 2007 campaign for Philadelphia mayor. Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., who never finished college, was convicted of using fraudulently obtained business loans to fund his jet-set lifestyle. Fattah introduced "Communities Committed to College", H.R. Theres no better time to kick a candidate than when hes down. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. 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. 2130 which had a single cosponsor, Democratic Rep. Brian Baird of Washington. 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). 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/. WASHINGTON -- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.) Meanwhile, Evans had $303,000 on hand and Muroff had $208,000. 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. Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., who never finished college, was convicted of using fraudulently obtained business loans to fund his jet-set lifestyle. 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. 4646) which proposed to repeal the federal income tax and replace it with a 1 percent "transaction tax" on every financial transaction whether paid by cash, credit card or any form of financial transfer, the only exception being transactions involving the purchase or sale of stock. It is unclear but the Federal Bureau of Prisons database shows he is in a residential reentry center in Philadelphia. / CBS/AP. Chenault-Fattah started with NBC10 in 1991, according to her biography on the station's website. "This is an extraordinarily difficult day for me and my family. Please enter valid email address to continue. Current law requires that schools within the same district provide comparable educational services; this bill would extend that basic protection to the State level by requiring comparability across school districts. Democrat Rep. Dwight Evans now holds Fattah's seat in Congress. And Im going to leave it to others to figure out everybodys motives.. It's the former home of Congressman Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah, a. Philly congressman Chaka Fattah dismissive of - The Morning Call Who Is Chaka Fattah's Wife? Credit NBC10. Fattah told Bartle that he had helped tens of millions of people during his time in office, despite the crimes hed been convicted of committing. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Chaka Fattah 1956 . Pennsylvania Center for the Book Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. The FBI further alleged that Fattah accepted an $18,000 bribe from a man seeking an ambassadorship. 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. 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. On July 12, 2019, a Philadelphia judge sentenced Fattah to 10 years in federal prison for public corruption. save for his 2007 bid for mayor. Chaka Fattah is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The prize? Fattah insists the Justice Department racketeering case is politically motivated. Fattah then repaid it with funds that included NASA grant money steered through an education nonprofit run by former staffers. 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. In May 1986, he received his master's degree in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah convicted in racketeering case Now all of a sudden he wants to run for mayor and he shows up dispensing checks. We, journalists, typically know a little bit about alot of subjects. He says hes spent more than $300,000 paying for his legal defense. Theyre kind of dealing with the position, Fattah said. makes sure to note, too, that Sims raised $230,000 to challenge him for Congressthis year and didnt make it to filing day. Voting ina new congressman would be, in his words, a Chip Kelly trade something that, roughly speaking, changes the team but for the worse. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The Republican party may have won a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, but a seat was still found for a liberal named Chaka Fattah.The freshman Democratic congressman from Philadelphia is a lawmaker who has . He doesnt have any relationships, she told The Inquirer at the time. 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. The two-story carriage house can serve as a separate residence for an in-law, aupair or guests. He talks about how former Mayor Michael Nutter spent about a third of whatbusinessman Tom Knox did in the 2007 mayoral race. He challenged the FBI's focus on his wife . On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison as a result of the conviction. 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. And I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that," she told me. 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. The loan was paid back using federal grant money intended for nonprofit organizations affiliated with Fattah. Fattah convicted on federal corruption charges - Inquirer.com 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. Theyre from the White House, The New York Times, The Inquirer, The Times of Israel. 'I'm as innocent as you': Chaka Fattah on his re-election fight and the While it was one the harshest sentences ever handed out to a one-time member of Congress, federal prosecutors had asked for a longer term behind bars. 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. Market data provided by Factset. During his sentencing in 2016, U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle called the Philadelphia-area lawmaker's crimes "astonishing" given that he and his TV anchor wife had a $500,000 annual income that put them at or near the "top 1 percent.". But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. He brings up that former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush spent $136 million compared to Donald Trumps $11 million. 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. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress . Politician. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. NBC10's Deanna Durante explains how. Fattah was the recipient of numerous honors and awards including 10 honorary doctorates and the University of Pennsylvanias Fels Institute of Government Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. 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. Some of the major players in the city leadership maybe are not embracing me because allegations have been made about me, Fattah said. In 1994, Fattah decided to challenge Blackwell in the Democratic primary. 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. Congressional pensions are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). I got to ask former WCAU-TV anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah anything I wanted about Alzheimer's disease. He can tout his role in passing the Affordable Care Act. Is This Chaka Fattah's Last Stand? - Philadelphia Magazine These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. Congress works off seniority. 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. Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks after leaving the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 21. He can point to his early and loud supportof President Barack Obama. 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 . Market data provided by Factset. Meanwhile, Evans had $303,000 on hand and Muroff had $208,000. Former Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks from the federal courthouse on Monday after his sentencing hearing in Philadelphia. His wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah (m. 2001) Chaka Fattah Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Fattah was a former state lawmaker and Philadelphia official who was elected to Congress in 1994. 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. The elder Fattah, 59, faces his own corruption trial before Bartle on May 2. Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From 1995 to 2016, Fattah served as the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvanias 2nd Congressional District. ", When I asked how he's faring in federal prison, she said, "Chaka's doing great. Chaka Fattah (1956- ) - BlackPast.org I'm a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News covering mostly local topics but sometimes weighing in on national news as well. Fattah's wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, was implicated in the indictment against the congressman and no longer sits at the anchor desk at NBC 10 where she worked for nearly 25 years. In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. The public expects their elected officials to act with honesty and integrity, U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia Zane Memeger said when charges were filed. Ex-Philadelphia congressman Chaka Fattah gets 10 years for corruption This dominancehas allowed him to spend little on campaigning, save for his 2007 bid for mayor. 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.