Fattah has the floor

Is Elected Official A available for a few Q's?

As of Thursday, Rep. Chaka Fattah - the 10-term Philadelphia Democrat apparently known to federal authorities by the mysterious and evocative nickname "Elected Official A" - hadn't uttered an iota about the previous day's guilty plea by his longtime aide and friend Gregory Naylor. Given the serious accusations leveled in a plea memorandum liberally strewn with references to the official designated by the scarlet letter, Fattah's silence is deeply unsatisfying.

Naylor admitted that he took part in a scheme to use federal and charity funds to pay off an illegal $1 million loan to Elected Official A's unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Philadelphia. The operative also acknowledged using money from the official's congressional campaign to pay off college loans for the official's son.

Of the funds Naylor admitted misusing to pay off the campaign debt, authorities charge that $100,000 came from a NASA grant to engage young Philadelphians in science, technology, engineering, and math. Another $500,000 was donated by the charitable arm of Sallie Mae, the government-founded student loan corporation, for a higher-education conference.

Such arrogant misappropriations would be troubling on the part of any elected official. They would be especially disturbing in the case of Fattah, an avid advocate for education and science who, as the ranking Democrat on a House Appropriations subcommittee, has considerable power over tax dollars.

Perhaps the first question for Fattah is whether he is in fact Elected Official A, though the plea memo leaves little doubt. The official is identified as a losing 2007 mayoral candidate who maintained a congressional campaign fund, employed Naylor, and unsuccessfully sued to overturn Philadelphia's campaign-finance limits - all of which matches Fattah's description. Moreover, a source told The Inquirer that Fattah's son, Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., was a recipient of payments identified in the plea memo.

The younger Fattah was indicted this month on separate charges that he stole public school funds and fraudulently obtained business loans to cover gambling debts and other personal expenses. He has denied the charges, and the elder Fattah has expressed concern about the prosecution.

The case against Fattah fils was among the latest signs that a long-running federal investigation had drawn closer to the congressman. Now Naylor's plea has brought it so close as to raise questions about Fattah's ability to serve effectively or seek reelection. At the very least, it's time for the congressman to offer some answers.