Ex-US Rep. Fattah seeks to overturn corruption conviction
PHILADELPHIA – Former congressman Chaka Fattah (SHAH’-kah fa-TAH’) of Philadelphia hopes to overturn his racketeering and bribery conviction with help from a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Fattah’s lawyers say the Supreme Court narrowed the definition of political bribery when it threw out former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s conviction in June.
Fattah was convicted days earlier of all 22 counts in a federal corruption case.
Defence lawyers in court papers Monday say he shouldn’t have been convicted of racketeering because there’s no evidence he conspired with his four co-defendants.
They also say the gifts he received from a businessman stemmed from their friendship and not Fattah’s position. They say the Supreme Court in the McDonnell case says that doesn’t constitute bribery by an official.
Fattah is set to be sentenced Oct. 4.
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