Closing Arguments Continue In Chaka Fattah Trial
by Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The defense spent much of Tuesday wrapping up two days' worth of wall-to-wall closing arguments at the racketeering conspiracy trial of Congressman Chaka Fattah and four others.
The judge is to give jurors instructions on points of law on Wednesday, after which they'll begin deliberations.
Defense lawyer Mira Baylson says the government was "stretching to make a connection" to her client, businessman Robert Brand, "counting on jurors to fill in gaps, without evidence."
Federal prosecutors allege Brand and co-defendant Karen Nicholas used his Solutions for Progress and her non-profit Educational Advancement Alliance to "conceal and funnel" $600,000 in federal grants and charitable contributions to repay an illegal campaign loan for Fattah.
Prosecutors allege that they created sham contracts. The defense maintains the EAA contract was real, made in good faith to help underrepresented people succeed.
Representing Nicholas, attorney Ann Flannery told jurors the government "misunderstood or ignored the facts;" she added "guesswork, assumptions, and theory are not evidence."
Attorney Ronald Levine, representing Fattah's former district chief of staff, Bonnie Bowser, says she committed no crime, "and performed tasks as given and directed by those higher up the food chain."
Federal prosecutors had the final say and, during his rebuttal, Eric Gibson spent more than an hour laying into each defendant, often raising his voice, saying "the arrogance on display here is astounding."
He concluded by telling jurors Fattah "surrounded himself with loyal subordinates willing to commit crimes with him and on his behalf. It's time to hold them to account."
