PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A jury has convicted a Pennsylvania congressman on trial in a racketeering case that largely centered on various efforts to repay an illegal $1 million campaign loan.
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (SHAW’-kah fa-TAH’) was found guilty Tuesday of racketeering, fraud, money laundering and other counts. His lawyers had argued that the schemes were engineered without Fattah’s knowledge by two political consultants who pleaded guilty in the case.
The 59-year-old Democrat has been in Congress since 1995 and served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
But he lost his costly bid to become mayor of Philadelphia in 2007 and lost his congressional seat in the April primary.
Prosecutors say Fattah routed federal grant money and nonprofit funds through his consultants to pay back the illegal loan.
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