Players in Chris Wright case

The federal trial of City Councilman Jack Kelly's former top staffer, campaign treasurer and two political contributors starts today.

On trial are:

_ Chris Wright - Kelly's former chief of staff is accused of using his City Hall post to help two real-estate developers and their attorney in return for a cash bribe, a rent-free apartment and free legal services. Wright has been on unpaid leave from his $97,179-a-year job since his August indictment. He started working for the city in 1998 for the late Councilman Thacher Longstreth.

_ Andrew Teitelman - Kelly's one-time campaign treasurer runs a law firm from the Huntingdon Valley headquarters of several real-estate businesses operated by brothers Hardeep and Ravinder Chawla. Teitelman, who represents many of the Chawlas' businesses, is accused of giving Wright free legal services in return for his assistance.

_ Ravinder Chawla - A native of Burma, Chawla and his family started several apparel businesses before moving into the real-estate market. Chawla was pushing the "River City" project to redevelop a large swath of Center City along the Schuylkill River. His indictment accuses him of allowing Wright to stay for free in an apartment near Rittenhouse Square in return for help on the project.

_ Hardeep Chawla - Ravinder's brother has already had trouble with the feds, pleading guilty in 2006 to defrauding the government of $178,000 on a lease for two buildings in Northeast Philadelphia used by the IRS. Kelly signed a letter of reference in that case to the judge, drafted by Teitelman. Chawla served five months in federal prison and was still on two years of supervised release when this new investigation got under way. *