Well, Philadelphia couldn’t let Chicago have all the fun… Just days after a jury failed to convict Rod Blagojevich on 23 of 24 counts (there will be a retrial) of racketeering, conspiracy and political misconduct, Philadelphia’s politicians are making headlines on their own.
On Wednesday, the FBI and the IRS raided the offices of PA State Rep. Bill Keller (D), the home of Traffic Court Judge Robert Mulgrew and several other locations including more homes and businesses. Reportedly, the feds are investigating whether money from Keller’s political action committee (PAC) was used for improper purposes. Boxes of documents were removed from Keller’s offices.
The details are sketchy but it’s clear that the feds are also targeting two nonprofits with ties to Keller and Mulgrew: the South Philadelphia Area Revitalization Corp. (SPARC) and Friends of Dickinson Square Community Development Corp. There has been no official word that confirms wrongdoing but there are already rumblings about whether the City is about to see another investigation a la Sen. Vincent Fumo, who was accused, among other things of using a nonprofit he created as his personal bank account. Last year, Fumo, once considered the most powerful politician in Philadelphia, was convicted of all 137 counts against him, including federal tax charges. Fumo was sentenced to 55 months in jail; prosecutors are appealing his sentence, arguing that it was much too lenient.
As of now, no charges have been announced against Keller or Mulgrew. We expect to hear more as the investigation unfolds.
people are stupid