posted on May 9, 2005 10:20:12 PM new
Sorry this is long but I just wanted to show bigpeepa that it isn't only Republicans that are corrupt. Take a look at your own state. I am sure you have read about it. What is your take on it. Oh BTW there was a poll associated with this article but I will refrain from posting it because it is one where anyone can vote and vote often. Great discussion board also if you need some interesting reading.
This article was thanks to the Huffington Blog...
Kemp, Bankers Convicted; 'The Fight Will Continue'
By Emilie Lounsberry and Nancy Phillips
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Former Philadelphia Treasurer Corey Kemp and two Commerce Bank executives were found guilty of corruption yesterday, the first major convictions in a two-year federal pay-to-play probe that placed City Hall in the crosshairs.
A U.S. District Court jury decided that Kemp and the bankers, Commerce Bank of Pennsylvania president Glenn K. Holck and regional vice president Stephen M. Umbrell, schemed to defraud Philadelphians of their right to Kemp's honest services as treasurer.
The jury concluded that Kemp took money and other gifts from the late Ronald A. White, a top fund-raiser for Mayor Street, and in exchange, allowed White to essentially usurp his power as treasurer.
Kemp, 35, who served as treasurer from April 2002 until late 2003, showed no reaction as the jury foreman stood in the packed, hushed courtroom and proclaimed the verdicts before 12:30 p.m. The announcement followed 19 tense days of jury deliberations and a dramatic investigation that became public when an FBI bug was found in Mayor Street's office 19 months ago.
Kemp was convicted of 27 charges, including conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. He was acquitted of 13 other charges. The jury could not reach a verdict on five charges.
As at least nine court-security officers and U.S. marshals lined the rear of the courtroom, the defendants displayed little emotion as the verdicts were read.
Holck, 44, of Newtown, Bucks County, looked toward his wife, Lynn, in the front row. She shook her head slightly as it became clear her husband had been convicted.
As he left the courtroom, Umbrell, 45, of Delran, Burlington County, told the Associated Press that "the fight will continue."
Under advisory federal sentencing guidelines, a conviction for the honest-services fraud and conspiracy counts generally would carry a sentence starting at about two years in prison, but could be higher depending on the amount of money involved. The sentence ranges are expected to be the subject of much legal argument.
The jury of six men and six women acquitted Detroit businessman La-Van Hawkins of being part of the conspiracy, though it did convict him of perjury and a fraud charge.
The panel could not reach a verdict on whether local businesswoman Janice R. Knight, 41, White's longtime girlfriend, had participated in the conspiracy. She was found guilty of lying to the FBI.
U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson said he would decide this morning whether to declare a mistrial on the remaining counts or to ask jurors to continue deliberations. In the meantime, he barred lawyers in the case from discussing the verdicts and has set no sentencing date.
Jury deliberations began April 13, and on April 27, Baylson ejected a juror after determining she was biased against the FBI. He added an alternate to the group and ordered jurors to begin deliberations anew, a move defense lawyers will likely use in appealing the case.
For Kemp, a North Philadelphia native who rose to become treasurer of the nation's fifth-largest city by age 33, the verdicts punctuated a startling downfall. A certified public accountant who once dreamed of becoming a millionaire, Kemp is now broke and faces years of prison time.
Holck and Umbrell, veteran bankers who helped Commerce rapidly expand into one of the region's most influential banks, were found guilty of aiding and abetting honest services fraud by using insider information provided by Kemp to help the bank win city business. They were acquitted of charges they improperly approved loans for Kemp despite his poor credit history in the expectation that he would help Commerce.
Prosecutors contended that Kemp looked after Commerce, giving the bank city deposits and inside information that enabled the bank to win a bid to provide the city with a $30 million line of credit.
Knight, of Cherry Hill, was acquitted of a single fraud charge. The jury could not reach a verdict on other fraud charges or on conspiracy to corrupt a public official. Prosecutors had alleged that White helped her win city contracts under a minority-set-aside program, then dramatically marked up invoices while performing little or no work.
White's friend and Detroit business associate, Hawkins, 45, of Atlanta, was acquitted of conspiracy to corrupt a public official, but convicted of perjury and fraud, including funneling $10,000 to Kemp through White. Five years ago, Hawkins, a gregarious restaurateur, owned dozens of fast-food joints; today, he owns a five-star jazz restaurant in Detroit.
The defendants had one thing in common - relationships with White, the bond lawyer who was lead defendant in the case until he died last year of pancreatic cancer.
FBI wiretaps on White's and Kemp's phones provided some of the government's best evidence, and his voice on wiretaps often dominated daily proceedings at trial.
Perhaps most damning of all, jurors heard Kemp assure White on one wiretap, "You've got your boy in the treasurer's seat."
Prosecutors found the line so effective, they used it to open and to close their case.
At its core, the prosecution contended, the case was about the relationship between White and Kemp, with White plying Kemp with money and other benefits to corrupt him and get him to recommend the firms that White wanted for city financial business.
White gave Kemp $10,000, free meals, sporting tickets and even a free deck, prosecutors said, and Kemp essentially gave up his decision-making duties as treasurer and went to work for White.
The evidence included nearly 400 FBI wiretaps and testimony from 70 witnesses. Prosecutors described the taped conversations as the heart of their case.
But the tapes were less than riveting. Many of the conversations between White and Kemp focused on the dry details of city financial deals. The jurors listened in as the two men talked about which firms would get city bond work. In between, White and Kemp made plans to socialize and dine at posh restaurants - at White's expense.
The jury heard days of testimony from bankers about often mind-numbing yet critical terms, like "tax revenue anticipation notes" or "basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rate."
Yet the trial provided flashes of drama. Prosecutors called Kemp's girlfriend to testify about chartered jets, Cristal champagne and fancy hotel rooms, all paid for by White.
On wiretaps, jurors heard Hawkins marvel how Knight "looked in that white leather." On another call, they heard Knight ask White to wait hold on because, "I'm naked and all the windows are open up here."
After six weeks of testimony by prosecution witnesses, the defense lawyers surprised many in the courtroom by resting without putting on a single witness - even people who might have attested that the defendants were of sound character. Instead, the defense relied on evidence elicited through cross-examination of government witnesses, and in closing arguments characterized the government's case as weak.
U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan, who was in the courtroom when the verdicts were read, declined to comment yesterday, citing the judge's admonition. Behind closed doors in a small room at the courthouse, prosecutors could be heard letting out celebratory whoops.
The federal corruption investigation, triggered by wiretaps in an unrelated drug case, became public on Oct. 7, 2003, when a listening device agents planted in Mayor Street's office was discovered and prematurely exposed what had been a covert probe.
The FBI suspected that Street and White had been discussing steering city contracts to campaign supporters. The mayor, who has not been charged with any crime, has repeatedly said he has done nothing illegal.
Philadelphia corruption trial at a glance
Associated Press
Some key players in the Philadelphia corruption investigation:
_ Corey Kemp: Philadelphia's former treasurer. Convicted of 27 criminal counts, including extortion, filing false income tax returns and honest services fraud. Most of the charges involved allegations that Kemp accepted gifts, payments and favorable loans from people seeking city contracts.
_ Mayor John F. Street: FBI agents bugged Street's office in an attempt to learn whether he was trading city contracts for campaign contributions, but ultimately decided not to charge him with any crime. The probe became public when the bug was discovered at the height of Street's re-election campaign.
_ Ronald A. White: A lawyer, political fund-raiser for Democrats and longtime friend of Street's. He died in November while awaiting trial. Prosecutors said he gave money and gifts to Kemp in an attempt to influence which financial services companies the city hired.
_ Glenn K. Holck: The president of Commerce Bank Pennsylvania. Convicted of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and two counts of honest services wire fraud. Prosecutors said he arranged for the bank to receive special treatment and inside information in its business dealings with the city.
_ Stephen M. Umbrell: A regional vice president of Commerce Bank. Faced the same general charges as Holck. Convicted of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and two counts of honest services wire fraud. Commerce is paying for the legal defense of both executives, but has suspended both of them, pending the trial's outcome.
_ La-Van Hawkins: A Detroit businessman and owner of fast food franchises. Convicted of honest services wire fraud for helping funnel money to Kemp, and of three counts of lying to a grand jury. He was acquitted of a charge of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
_ Janice Renee Knight: Prosecutors say she was White's mistress. She owned a printing company that investigators said received a series of contracts at White's direction. Convicted of two counts of lying to FBI agents. The jury could not decide whether she was guilty of conspiracy.
posted on May 10, 2005 05:24:32 AM new
I see the bigpeepa double has come in and posted. Isn't it great to have two of them in here. You just bud in where your not wanted. Can't you understand that. but of course you are going to come back and say it is a community board right?
This is the city of Brotherly Love crowfarm. Yes Brotherly Love of the corrupt democratic officials. I never see him post anything to do with the democrats as I am sure you haven't either so now the shoe is on the other foot. He frequently states how good Pennsylvania is doing. Well Philly isn't doing so good now is it. I don't care if it is the speaker of the house or the lowly janitor it isn't right but I guess when it happens to the democrats it is okay but not the other way.
posted on May 10, 2005 07:00:42 AM new
libra, how many assinine posts are you planning on doing in one day? Trying to set a record....
First you bray:" see the bigpeepa double has come in and posted. Isn't it great to have two of them in here. You just bud in where your not wanted. Can't you understand that. but of course you are going to come back and say it is a community board right? ""
Where do you see me as the bigpeepa double...duh, because we agree ???"
That's stupid.
Then ""You just bud in here"
"BUD" ? "Bud"... libra you dope it's BUTT in and it IS a chat room ...it's for anybody not just you ! If you KNEW that why did you say anything !!!?????
Then :"Well Philly isn't doing so good now is it. I don't care if it is the speaker of the house or the lowly janitor it isn't right but I guess when it happens to the democrats it is okay but not the other way. "
Libra WHAT is wrong with you , how many times do big and I have to tell you NO we don't believe that....you mindless parrot.
Libra, if you're as smart as you think you are why can't you ever answer a question:
"Do you REALLY feel that if a Democrat does something wrong it's OK for a Republican to do it, too?
My gawd! What low morals you have!"
posted on May 10, 2005 07:55:32 AM new
Hey Libra63, looks like there are problems in Spokane also.
SPOKANE, Wash. - Citing what he called persecution and hysteria, Republican Mayor Jim West says he's taking a few weeks off to defend himself against allegations of child molestation and new claims that he offered city jobs to men he met online.
Shortly after West announced Monday that he would take a leave of absence, The Spokesman-Review posted a new story on its Web page alleging the mayor offered city jobs to two young men he met through a gay Internet chat room — and that one of them briefly accepted a city appointment.
The newspaper last week launched a series of articles about West after hiring a computer forensics expert who posed as an 18-year-old male high school student in Internet chats with West on Gay.com. West offered the "teen" a City Hall internship, tickets to professional sporting events and other gifts, the newspaper reported.
In Monday's account, Ryan Oelrich, an openly gay 24-year-old, told the paper he accepted West's appointment to the city's Human Rights Commission in April 2004 after meeting West online at Gay.com.
Oelrich said he resigned from the commission in January after West "hounded me for months, telling me I was cute and asking me out on dates." Oelrich said he refused the mayor's advances, the newspaper reported. Oelrich told the newspaper he knows of "five or six other young gay men that Jim West has met online and offered City Hall jobs."
In the series it began publishing last Thursday, The Spokesman-Review reported allegations that West had abused two boys while he was a sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
West, a 54-year-old former state Senate leader and staunch opponent of gay rights, last week denied the decades-old molestation allegations, but subsequently acknowledged that he had visited the gay online chat room and had relations with adult men.
posted on May 10, 2005 07:57:37 AM new
"First you bray:"
ahhh what the hell does that mean???
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Baseball season has started,but they have it all wrong.3 strikes and you're out,4 balls you walk.I can tell you right now a man with 4 balls could not possibly walk
posted on May 10, 2005 08:13:45 AM new
libra, dont worry about cf. She/he/it just cant help itself budding and sprouting into a post specifically addressed to someone else.
Sure, it's an open message board, but you know she holds no decorum for herself whatsoever and shows her u g l y b u t t whenever and wherever she pleases. You can always pretend she's bigpeepa though!
posted on May 10, 2005 08:19:10 AM new
Yes Kiara I had just read that. Since I don't spend 24/7 on the internet I happened across it when I went into Yahoo. See things happen but what I was getting at is that bigpeepa only posts what our white house is doing and he hasn't looked into his oown state government lately. Spokane has nothing to do with anything. It was because bigpeepa was from Pennsylvania that I posted that and that was the only reason. He thinks his grass is greener in Pennsylvania but it doesn't look like that.
A cooking term? does crowfarm cook? I doubt it as there isn't enough time in a day for that since she spends so much time in here. But then it keeps her off the streets. I bet stonecold is happy for that.
I bet she sits, posts and listens to air america with Al Franken and whoever the babe is.
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posted on May 10, 2005 08:34:39 AM new
Braise is the cooking term.. to brown the meat...LOL.. Bray.. is what jackass's do..remember the cartoons when the jackass brays and his big lips quiver and all his big teeth show...
posted on May 10, 2005 10:03:13 AM new
Some appear to have their party 'animals' mixed up. The donkey's represent the democratic party...NOT republican. So who's braying now? Last I saw elephants don't bray.
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Four More Years....YES!!!
posted on May 10, 2005 03:09:10 PM new
This is for you crowfarm. thought you might like to know the difference between a jackass and Donkey. Oh my one and the same. I guess the #2 definition is for the democrats.
Miriam Webster Dictionary. 3 entries found for jackass.
To select an entry, click on it.
jackass kookaburra laughing jackass
Main Entry: jack·ass
Pronunciation: 'jak-"as
Function: noun
1 : DONKEY; especially : a male donkey
2 : a stupid person : FOOL
