Judge lets Fattah's unpaid lawyers withdraw from case

A federal judge allowed U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah's original legal team to withdraw from his corruption case Monday, nearly two months after the lawyers first requested to drop the congressman as their client, citing a payment dispute.

In a one-paragraph order, U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III dismissed lawyers Kevin Mincey, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Riley Ross III, and Shabrei Parker from the racketeering conspiracy case.

Bartle had previously refused to let them withdraw, despite their contention that Fattah had not fully paid them in months. Bartle had questioned whether Fattah was trying to delay his rapidly approaching May 2 trial date by looking for a new legal team.

Since then, Fattah has found a new set of lawyers from the Center City law firm Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis L.L.P., who told Bartle at a hearing Friday that they would be prepared to take the congressman's case to trial by the scheduled date.

Fattah has maintained that he intends to pay his legal debts eventually. But with four challengers to fend off in the April 26 Democratic primary, he has said, he must first focus on raising campaign cash.

Still, he noted he had already spent more than $300,000 in legal fees since federal authorities began investigating him and his relatives nine years ago. Fattah said Monday he was paying for representation by the Schnader firm.

Fattah is accused of accepting a lobbyist's bribes and misusing charitable contributions, campaign cash, and federal grant funds under his control to pay off debts and enrich his family and members of his inner circle.

He has denied the charges and vowed to take his case to trial.

jroebuck@phillynews.com

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