Letters: Cronies backed Fattah even after verdict

ISSUE | POLITICAL CORRUPTION

Cronies backed Fattah even after verdict

Almost as unsurprising as the conviction of U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) on all 22 counts of fraud, money-laundering, and bribery was the reaction of the political clerisy ("Reaction: Heavy hearts, calls to quit," Wednesday). Not one of Fattah's Democratic colleagues called for his resignation; that reasonable response to the jury's verdict was left to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a group that, as confirmed by the Inquirer's "Philadelphia Political Hall of Shame," should never be confused with the capos who run Philadelphia's Democratic Party.

What logic explains allowing this convicted criminal to continue to draw his $174,000 salary? Yet U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, the Democratic Party's Philadelphia "don," said it should be Fattah's "call" whether he continued to fatten his wallet at taxpayer expense even after the jury's verdict. "This wasn't penny-ante corruption," as the Inquirer editorialized. "It required intelligence, effort, and leadership."

|George Croner, Holland, gwcroner@comcast.net

Brady, Kenney should put voters first

Chaka Fattah was found guilty and probably will be sentenced to a long prison term, but Philadelphia's top Democrats,

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady and Mayor Kenney, won't condemn him. Kenney said Fattah should be given "a day or so" to figure out what he wanted to do, and Brady said it was "his call" whether he should resign.

Who do these patronage kings represent? They couldn't make him resign, but they should favor their constituents over a friend.

|Andy Anderson, Glassboro, ajanderson2747@comcast.net

Where was outrage over GOP's disgrace?

I found the Republicans' outrage over Chaka Fattah's initial plans to resign in October amusing and hypocritical. Where was the outrage when Dennis Hastert, the former Republican speaker of the House and serial child molester, was charged with fraud to cover up his sexual abuse and sentenced to 15 months in prison? There was silence and sympathy.

|Laura Szatny, King of Prussia

Mark Twain got it right

The conviction of Chaka Fattah brings to mind Mark Twain's statement: "It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."

|Hal Kessler, Elkins Park