Philly councilman's top aide indicted for corruption

[larrymeyer]

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news....d=662709&rfi=6

Philly councilman's top aide indicted for corruption

DAN ROBRISH, Associated Press Writer 08/05/2008


PHILADELPHIA - A city councilman's chief of staff was indicted Tuesday on charges he accepted money, gifts and use of an apartment in exchange for helping two real estate developers and their attorney in their dealings with the city.
The developers, who are brothers, and the lawyer, who served as the councilman's campaign treasurer in the 2003 and 2007 elections, also were charged.
The councilman, Jack Kelly, was not implicated in the indictment of Christopher G. Wright, who had been his chief of staff. Another aide said Kelly cooperated with the investigation and would continue to do so if asked, but would not say if Wright was still working for Kelly.
Wright got money and gift certificates, the use of an apartment in Philadelphia's prestigious Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, a parking space there and free legal advice in exchange for repeatedly intervening on the developers' behalf, prosecutors said.
In return, Wright worked to get interest and penalties reduced on delinquent property taxes and helped get city approvals for a proposed development of an 8-acre tract of land near the Schuylkill River, prosecutors said.
Soon after getting the free apartment, Wright also tried to help the developers' quest to build mechanical parking garages, in which a driver puts a car in an elevator that automatically deposits it in its parking space, prosecutors said. At the brothers' behest, Wright allegedly promoted a bill that would remove some restrictions and allow developers to build the garages without first having to seek permission from zoning officials or City Council.
Wright, 44; developer Ravinder S. Chawla, 58, of Abington; his brother Hardeep Chawla, 46, of Ivyland; and Newtown attorney Andrew Teitelman, 49, were each charged with several counts of fraud and a conspiracy count. Wright and the Chawla brothers also were charged with bribery.
Lawyers for each of the four defendants did not immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The councilman's office referred questions to Kelly's director of legislation, John Cerrone.
"I want to make it unequivocally clear that Councilman Kelly has not been accused of any wrongdoing," Cerrone said.

[edstephan]

And this really supprises me. Corruption in Filthydelpha say it isn't so.
Ed