Former PA Congressman Chaka Fattah Appeals 10-Year Prison Term
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Former longtime Congressman Chaka Fattah has filed an appeal in hopes of overturning his Federal corruption and bribery conviction.
Chaka Fattah and his attorneys argue that the dismissal of a juror during trial and another 2016 Federal bribery case help bolster his appeal.
Former Pa. Congressman Chaka Fattah Begins 10-Year Prison Term
They point to a 2016 Federal case: McDonnell vs. the US, which narrows the definition of official action in a bribery case.
In the appeal, they write that Fattah was not taking official action when he wrote letters to the President and other elected politicians, for a friend seeking an ambassador position.
Sixty-year-old Fattah was convicted last summer on 22 counts of bribery, racketeering and money laundering charges.
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He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and started that term in January.
Fattah's attorneys declined a request for comment.
