It's the former home of Congressman Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah, a. 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. 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. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., who never finished college, was convicted of using fraudulently obtained business loans to fund his jet-set lifestyle. The credit is unique in that families under a set income without a tax liability are eligible for a tax rebate. 3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129 | TREND images via Elfant Wissahickon Realtors. 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. But he was charged in 2015, and then convicted on all counts the following year. Two older structures with a link to that past also sit on these grounds: a carriage house thought to date to the 1800s and a one-room cottage with sleeping loft believed to be the oldest structure on the property. Chaka Fattah (Arthur Davenport) was born on 21 November, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA. But she fought to keep the figure private during her husband's mayoral run in 2007, and his federal financial disclosure reports do not specify how much she earns. They have two school-age children. Chaka Fattah 1956 . ET. ", When I asked how he's faring in federal prison, she said, "Chaka's doing great. He's doing well. save for his 2007 bid for mayor. Sources. Chaka Fattah's income source is mostly from being a successful . 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. Congressman Chaka Fattah's wife, NBC10 News Anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah responds to allegations detailed in a Federal Indictment against her husband. Fattah won his first election in 1982 by 58 votes , defeating a party-favored incumbent for the 192nd house seat in the Pennsylvania . Matt Rourke/AP A federal jury has sentenced former Rep. Chaka. 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. On July 29, 2015, Fattah and a group of associates were indicted on federal charges related to their alleged roles in a racketeering and influence peddling conspiracy. He added: I dont think that not having somebody on the appropriations committee disenfranchises the city.. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. And I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that," she told me. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress . They have two school-age children. (That) has nothing to do with the fact that Ive been found on the wrong side of these questions by a jury.. However, the law was riddled with loopholes, leaving convicted felons to collect taxpayer-funded pensions. Politics Was " Fun ". said Fattah had rightly given up his ranking position. The conference brought together national leaders in cooperative development to share best practices to create powerful change for their organizations. [But] there are lots of people he hasnt done favors for, too. 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. Fattah grew up in Philadelphia, attending Overbrook High School and the Community College of Philadelphia. 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. If youve ever dreamed of living like a baron for less than a million bucks, nows your chance: the Fattahs loss is your gain. He says hes spent more than $300,000 paying for his legal defense. 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. 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 was never challenged in the Democratic primary until 2016, when he lost to Dwight E. Evans. All rights reserved. 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. For these additional counts, Fattah was again sentenced to 10 years of incarceration on July 12, 2019. 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. "I love my husband. He won the general election with 86% of the vote. Fattah has long been attempting to have his sentence one of the longest ever imposed for a member of Congress reduced. The couple, married in 2001, have one daughter, Chandler Fattah. He previously served in the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He talks about how former Mayor Michael Nutter. Former state Rep. Dwight Evans, a fellow Democrat, now holds his seat. With that said, endorsements can sometimes help win elections. 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. Just days later, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in McDonnell v. United States which altered the legal definition of bribery to exclude "pay for access." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Fattah used the money to pay personal expenses, including his taxes. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. The Justice Department wanted Fattah incarcerated for 17 to 21 years. 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. Chenault-Fattah did let me know, though, that her marriage remains intact. Though the house dates only to 1930, theres some history behind this plot: the estate was once part of a much larger 10-acre one dating to the 1700s that stretched from School House Lane all the way to Coulter Street. Wheres he been?, Love Philly? And for a while, it looked as if it was just that. Fattah also provided a copy of the title to the Porsche to the bank, the indictment says. 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. The case was then remanded for resentencing. first as a Wall Street lawyer and later a TV broadcaster, Indiegogo crowd-funding website for a new documentary, California residents do not sell my data request. Committed to fair housing. 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. What hewilladmit: Raising cash for re-election while under the cloud of federal indictmenthas been a struggle. Earlier this year, Fattah, 60, was convicted of misspending government grants and charity money to fund his campaign and personal expenses, even as he and his TV anchor wife earned more than $500,000 a year. Chenault-Fattah started with NBC10 in 1991, according to her biography on the station's website. 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 indictment says Chenault-Fattah e-mailed Vederman in January 2012 about purchasing her car. 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. 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. In the 2016 election, Fattah was ousted in the Democratic primarythe real contest in his heavily Democratic, black-majority districtto state representative Dwight Evans. She was never charged and has denied wrongdoing. Fattah insists the Justice Department, though led by fellow Democrats, has been out to get him and his family for years. 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. The Philadelphia Democrat, who was first elected to . Fattah ran for re-election to his seat in 2016, but he was defeated by Dwight Evans in the Democratic primary. He can tout his role in passing the Affordable Care Act. 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 reason we must take an educated guess? 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. Their older daughter, Cameron, is a freshman at Johns Hopkins University. State Senator with National Vision. She's done with that. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. And then Im going to continue my work in the Congress, he said. In 1994, Fattah decided to challenge Blackwell in the Democratic primary. He can point to his early and loud supportof President Barack Obama. The living room boasts such classic details as a chair rail and a marble fireplace; it also is decorated with wallpaper depicting West African scenes. In December 2011, Fattah through his role on the Appropriations Committee, directed the OSTP to establish an Interagency Working Group on Neuroscience (IWGN). Fattah resigned from office on June 23, 2016, following a racketeering conviction. The bill died without attracting any co-sponsor. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Federal agents also saw the car in Fattah's garage in March 2014, the indictment says, more than two years after the transaction supposedly occurred. 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. Both bills died without any action being taken. The FBI spent years investigating Fattah, and it long looked as if he would escape federal indictment. In November 2013, Fattah was invited to attend as Keynote speaker at the Annual Cooperatives Conference, hosted by the NCBA. By Fattahs own assessment, he could soonhold the purse strings of a nation in his hands. After that, he was re-elected every two years with at least 86% of the vote. Chenault-Fattah, who is also a lawyer,. On August 9, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia overturned Fattah's bribery convictions. The Congressman has an older son, Chaka Fattah, Jr., also a politician, who was convicted of felony bank and tax fraud in February 2016. Voters in Chinatown weigh in. 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. A source speculated to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the decision could be tied to coronavirus concerns. Get your daily rundown of Philly happenings in less than 10 minutes, Philadelphia local news: Neighborhoods, politics, food, and fun, Get Philly smart with BPs free daily newsletter. 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. NBC10's Deanna Durante explains how. 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. Following this conference, his mother decided to change his name to Chaka Fattah, to acknowledge their African ethnicity. 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. He represented the 2nd Congressional District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1994 to 2016. 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.. 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? 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. This dominance. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Im going to get these allegations behind me. 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. The four others convicted at trial will be sentenced later this week. In May 1986, he received his master's degree in Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. Some of the major players in the city leadership maybe are not embracing me because allegations have been made about me, Fattah said. 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 . 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. Congressman William Gray decided to resign. The Congressman has an older son, Chaka Fattah, Jr., also a politician, who was convicted of felony bank and tax fraud in February 2016. Congress works off seniority. They dont even have to believe in me. This dominancehas allowed him to spend little on campaigning, save for his 2007 bid for mayor. On August 9, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia overturned Fattah's bribery convictions. Fattah says he can get by largely on the fact that his name has been on the ballot for two decades. They told authorities the money covered the friends purchase of a Porsche owned by Fattahs wife, but the Porsche never left their garage. Fattah, who earned $174,000 as a congressman,. Theyre both expected to start spending soon on television ads to increase name recognition in the district. And his family has fallen with him. Congressional pensions are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle called the Philadelphia Democrats crimes astonishing given that he and his wife had an annual income that put them at or near the top 1 percent.. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia remanded for new sentencing and Fattah was again sentenced to 10 years on July 12, 2019. He announced his immediate resignation from Congress two days later, on June 23. 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. Both the main home and the carriage house have central air, and there are two garages on the property as well. Now I know its actually people in the barbershops and the beauty salons. I'm a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News covering mostly local topics but sometimes weighing in on national news as well. Former Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.) was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. We have estimated He then served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1982 to 1988 and the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1988 to 1994. On August 9, 2018, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit overturned Fattahs bribery convictions. Market data provided by Factset. Renee Chenault-Fattah. 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. "Whether it's diabetes, whether it's heart disease, strokes across the board.". 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. Fattah, a Democrat formerly representing Pennsylvanias second congressional district, was found guilty in June 2016. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 21 November. / CBS/AP. 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. 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. In 2002, he introduced the "Student Bill of Rights", H.R. PHILADELPHIA A federal judge has sentenced Former Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah to 10 years behind bars on charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. You abused your trust, time and time again.. Fattahs third wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, is a former Philadelphia television news broadcaster. Or rather, Chaka and Renee. But Fattah says hes also more committed now than he ever has been. [Hes]got an incredible social network. This is a story about my funding of the bridge over the Schuylkill, but its really symbolic of a host of efforts across the district. 2451. All the while he did it with his own little West Philadelphia political machine, with the support ofpeople like Hughes and Councilwoman Cindy Bass. 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. You abused your trust, time and time again.. Evans has already been endorsed by both Gov. . This search result is here to prevent scraping, 3941-45 W. Netherfield Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19129, Just Listed: Wash West Trinity Condo for Sale, On the Market: Quakertown Contemporary Manor House for Sale, On the Market: Ottsville Farmhouse for Sale with Organic Farm, The 50 Hottest Philadelphia Neighborhoods and Nearby Towns, Just Listed: Rittenhouse Square Full-Floor Duplex Condo for Sale. On the basis of this ruling, Fattah appealed his conviction in October 2016, placing his sentencing on hold. 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. Meanwhile, Evans had $303,000 on hand and Muroff had $208,000. Fattahwasnt known as the type of person who would frequentlyhelp other politicos around town raise money. Chaka Fattah Jr., Frances Fattah, Chandler Faith Fattah, Cameron Chenault. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. It is unclear but the Federal Bureau of Prisons database shows he is in a residential reentry center in Philadelphia. He won a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he was able to steer millions of dollars in earmarks back home. or redistributed. I don't want to say anything about the case because it's being appealed. The Court of Appeals remanded for a new trial as to certain bribery and money laundering counts, concluding that the jury had not been properly instructed regarding official acts in a bribery context. On July 29, 2015, Fattah and four of his associates, Bonnie Bowser, Karen Nicholas, Herbert Verderman and Robert Brand were indicted for their alleged roles in a racketeering conspiracy involving several schemes that were intended to further the political and financial interests of the defendants and others by, among other tactics, misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal, charitable and campaign funds. December 12, 2016 / 12:36 PM In 2012, Fattah negotiated a partnership between FIRST and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to provide robotics programs to 4 million youth by 2015. Fattah endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008. Discover Chaka Fattah's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. As a member of Pennsylvanias state House Fattah wrote and passed into law Pennsylvanias Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP). The 22-year Congressman, indicted on federal corruption charges, grants a rare interview as he faces an unprecedented challenge. Chaka Fattah with Obama aide Valerie Jarrett on Air Force One. 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. Chenault-Fattah is focusing her attention on Alzheimer's disease and the disproportionate way it affects people of color. His son, Chaka Fattah Jr. is serving a five-year prison term in an overlapping fraud case that went to trial last year. Fattah introduced "Communities Committed to College", H.R. Property records indicate the house, near the Delaware River north of Milford, has about 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms, a fireplace, and a deck. He says hes just fine garnering the support. How are they doing? Each touts something Fattah did while in the United States Congress representing Philadelphia. . (Of note: Fattah came in fourth in that race. Twenty-twoarticles and press releases are strewn across a dark wood table in the board room of Congressman Chaka Fattahs West Philly office. Fattah attended Overbrook High School in Philadelphia and graduated with his BA from the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business in 1978. Ambition Is an Asset. We, journalists, typically know a little bit about alot of subjects. Theyre from the White House. 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. He resigned from Congress two days later. Fattah, who began his career in the Pennsylvania statehouse and entered Congress in 1995, lost the spring Democratic primary days before his trial began and resigned after his conviction in June. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The FBI further alleged that Fattah accepted an $18,000 bribe from a man seeking an ambassadorship. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators, noting his "excellence in haberdashery.". Congressman Chaka Fattah, a Philadelphia Democrat, speaks to the center for American Progress in 2010. These are the people that have been voting for me and praying for me for all these years.. Ive helped tens of millions of people, Fattah said. Theyre from the White House, The New York Times, The Inquirer, The Times of Israel. 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). Two of Fattah's political consultants and accomplices pleaded guilty and testified against him. 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. A spokeswoman for NBC10, Shawn Feddeman, said the station had no comment. 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. Rep. Chaka Fattah was indicted Wednesday on racketeering charges tied to a host of public corruption schemes, the Department of Justice said. We will update Chaka Fattah's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Fattah is also the creator of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). Chenault-Fattah, 57, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Updated: 12/12/2016 12:02 PM EST. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. In the middle of Kelly territory, this 1930 Cotswold-style home lets you live the life of grace. The estimated pension is at least $55,000 per year. 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. Fattah also hired Vedermans girlfriend in his Capitol Hill office. He's currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Thats at least four more elections to win. Fattah, 60, served 22 years in Congress before losing a Democratic primary in April. 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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