Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent J. Fumo is facing charges on 139 indictments including 2 counts each of filing false tax returns and aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns. Gilbert Coleman, Jr., senior pastor of Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, believes that those charges have made Fumo an angry man.
Gilbert was responding to a stunning turn of events that are leading up to Fumo’s last days in office. Fumo is retiring at the end of this year in order to address the federal charges being brought against him.
During an Appropriations Committee hearing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on a bill to define marriage as between a man and a woman, Fumo said:
What you are advocating here is that we take away the rights of a minority. And I don’t think that’s right… If we introduced a bill on slavery, it might pass. That doesn’t make it right.
When Coleman objected, Fumo retorted:
Oh, don’t bet on it in this General Assembly. I know some people up here, especially on a secret ballot, it would be almost unanimous.
Fumo later said that he was “obviously exaggerating to make a point.”
Right.
What was the point of this post?
Umm. I’m from Pennsylvania so I’m interested… Fumo has been indicted on tax fraud charges (much like Snipes, also blogged about) and it’s news. In addition to federal tax charges, he is also being queried on Philadelphia property tax assessments (link in the post) and I’ve blogged about it before. Also news.
Its amazing how people of powerful authority deem themslves as above the law; this man is a state senetor at that ! One to look up to.