Fattah Hits Up Supporters For His Legal Defense Fund
By David Madden
WASHINGTON D.C. (CBS) -- Congressman Chaka Fattah is turning to his supporters to help him pay his legal bills as he battles federal corruption charges against him.
The 11 term Democrat is running for re-election next year. The website Fattah2016.com is soliciting funds not just for the campaign, but the court battle scheduled to crank up next spring in Philadelphia.
"I have said that I am innocent of each and every one of the allegations presented," Fattah told KYW Newsradio, "and we are going to be involved in a costly litigation around these issues well into next year."
That litigation, he estimates, could cost a million dollars assuming the case is tried as scheduled. He has already spent about 50 thousand on attorney fees related to the indictment.
Fattah's son could only muster a few grand on-line to combat charges of tax and bank fraud. He'll represent himself at trial set for next month. New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, facing an unrelated corruption indictment, is conducting a similar online effort to raise money for his defense.
