Accountants, Auditors Take The Stand In Fattah Trial
by Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Accountants and auditors take the stand at the racketeering conspiracy trial of Congressman Chaka Fattah, where federal prosecutors continue on a path of following the money.
The CPA for political consultant Tom Lindenfeld's LSG Strategies told jurors how Lindendfeld dealt with a $1 million loan intended to prop up Fattah's flagging campaign for mayor in 2007.
Accountant Sandeep Saggar gave Lindenfeld advice on how to document the transaction. Saggar did not want it co-mingled with LSG's revenues and expenses, recommending that it be tied to the campaign.
But it wasn't, and although $400,000 of the $1 million was repaid, Lindenfeld was none too pleased to be on the hook to pay $300,000 in taxes on the rest of it.
Upon cross examination by Fattah's lawyer, Saggar acknowledged there was no documentation that Fattah or the campaign were responsible, everything was connected to Lindenfeld's LSG.
