Brotherly Love: SEIU Endorses Congressman Facing 29-Count Indictment

The Service Employees International Union in Philadelphia endorsed 10-term congressman Rep. Chaka Fattah earlier this week.
Fattah and four his associates are facing a 29-count indictment for racketeering, bribery, fraud and conspiracy.

Fattah and his associates are…

…accused of obtaining and concealing an illegal $1 million loan to support Fattah’s 2007 campaign for city mayor, stealing charitable and federal grant funds to repay $600,000 of that loan, defrauding a federal agency and other institutions of tens of thousands of dollars, and engaging in schemes to use congressional and mayoral campaign funds to pay for for the politician’s and his family’s personal expenses, including $22,263 in payments to Drexel University and Sallie Mae to offset his son’s student debt – which at one point totaled more than $100,000.
The congressman is also facing allegations that he accepted bribes from Vederman in exchange for his influence in helping the lobbyist obtain a federal appointment to the Federal Trade Commission or a presidential appointment as a U.S. ambassador, even hand-delivering a letter to President Barack Obama at an official event in October 2010 to advocate for Vederman’s appointment as an ambassador.

The SEIU endorsement comes as Fattah’s finances are nearly depleted.

…Congressman Fattah has reported only having $7,673 cash on hand with debts still owed to his lawyers for representing Fattah in his federal racketeering case which he is still due to start six days after the primary election.

As to why the SEIU would back a politician with the legal problems Fattah faces, Gabe Morgan, President of the SEIU State Council stated:

“We know that when we’re in a fight, often with some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in in the country, whether they’re an airline or sometimes a city government, whether they’re a major landowner or corporation, Congressman Fattah has stood with us.”

In addition to the Congressman’s own legal problems, Fattah’s son was only recently sentenced to serve five years in federal prison for fraud.

Of course, with the union’s endorsement, campaign moneys and on-the-ground support can now flow from the SEIU to the beleaguered Congressman.