The case continues.
State Representative Ronald Waters and former State Rep. Harold James are accepting plea deals related to the infamous “Philly Sting” investigation.
According to McCoy and Couloumbis of the Inquirer, Waters plead guilty to nine counts of conflict of interest. He’ll be sentenced to twenty-three months probation and a fine. Waters will also resign from the state legislature.
James, who is pleading to one count of conflict of interest, will receive a year’s probation and a smaller fine.
State Rep. Vanessa Brown, however, will take her case to trial.
The investigation was of course first revealed by the Inquirer in March 2014 in an attempt by Frank Fina to embarrass Kathleen Kane. The Attorney General passed on pursuing indictments, only for Philly DA Seth Williams to step in.
Kane would later retaliate by leaking a story to make Fina look bad.
This episode led to a long string of events that have culminated in the current crisis the Attorney General finds herself in.
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27 Responses
Blame Bush to fit your narrative. Underfunded schools? Why don’t you answer bungy a question. Oh I know because you can’t. Charter schools run surpluses on 80 cents on the dollar to what public schools fail miserably at. But I guess they are under funded. Liberals ruin everything philly run by Dems for 60 years Dave ? Excuse ?
Scoreboard. Kane lost. I know it still upsets a few people…very few people. Very, very few people. LOL.
Dave try to explain why every city with a democrat as Mayor is a crime ridden, filthy sewer pit.
Read this about the Philly DA’s office:
http://www.aclupa.org/news/2015/06/02/new-aclu-report-shows-philadelphia-da-seizes-1-million-cash
Porno-
Conservative Bush crashed the economy. Conservative Corbett failed to tax oil/gas and under-funded schools, road-work, bridge-repair and cost PA it’s credit rating.
Scoreboard Dave. Nobody wants people like this back in office. Everyone wants the corruptible to be kept in check, not given a blank check.
You liberal clowns ( Dave D ) in particular will justify anything just to fit your narrative. Kane is next and I can’t wait for that Hack to get taken down. Look everywhere you want that is run by liberals and its a failure plain and simple. But let Kathy Canz. ( that will be her porn name ) know not only will I let her in my movies but when she goes to jail that’s where she will be taking it. In the CAN
Unsanctioned R-
“At least they had to admit to their corruption”? seriously? They plead to “conflict of interest”.
“accepted deals that spared them prison and meant they will likely keep their government pensions”
They are ages 65 and 72. (retirement age) This is an early vacation/retirement and the pensions are worth A LOT more than the fines.
Williams is a joke. Anyone calling these “convictions” or a “victory” is a fool.
At least they had to admit to their corruption, ruin their careers, be recorded as guilty of violating the public trust for the rest of history, embarrassing their families…
Thank you Mr. Williams for putting other public officials on notice–at least in Philadelphia–that even if the AG doesn’t finds against her political interests to follow through, someone will look out for the people.
Unsanctioned R-
Capone didn’t get a slap on the wrist. Williams is doing the equivalent of letting them go (or rather admitting that the original charges were not prosecutable).
These penalties are not even penalties. No jail time and small fine.
Their pleading guilty to these lesser charges is practically a get out of jail free card.
You wanna make some bets on where they both are in the very near (hint hint) future.
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye
Bungy – Kane is AG, Fina is working for Sean Williams. Better recheck that scoreboard, there’s still time on the clock.
Bungy just pointed to the scoreboard. In the court of public opinion, Kane is a big loser who doesn’t look out for them. Very few will use their name and flush their credibility down the drain defending her.
Fina WON, Kane LOST. Moral of the story, Don’t F with The Big Boys.
I was responding to David. Anonymous race baiters who don’t think this case was worth pursuing don’t require a response.
Don’t twist what was said: nobody is calling the defendants saints. Fina and his cronies screwed up the sting and the investigation to the point where it wasn’t fit for a courtroom. If Sean Williams wants to put lipstick on this pig, so be it — but it was a completely botched project and was rightfully kicked to the curb. Real prosecutors don’t screw up like that – but Fina did.
Real prosecutors don’t turn a blind eye and sanction bank robbers. Capone wasn’t convicted of all his crimes either. If Denny Hastert molested kids decades ago, I won’t complain if he has to take a deal for fibbing to investigators about payments he made to victims. You would have us believe that these Philly convicts are really innocent, but that means you’re calling them liars in their admissions of guilt to the court. What a contradiction.
If by “revisionist” you mean “no Fina spin applied”, you are absolutely right, UR. Someday, when real reporters write the story and the Inquirer removes Fina’s two mouthpieces from covering this, maybe the Inky can use it as a teaser: “Now, 100% Fina-free!”
Unsanctioned R-
How has Williams protected anyone with this? It was a sting operation (ie entrapment) that never resulting in a changed vote, but did let a guy like Ali off without any penalty. So, where’s the protection from him? Instead Fina protected Ali.
The “convicted” defendants ALL took plea deals that were cheaper than the cost of going to court, even if they won. There was no upside to fighting it, given the non-penalty deals that Williams gifted them with.
And, again, none were actually charged/convicted of bribery.
That’s some revisionist history there. Nobody would dare put their real name to such tripe (cue DD).
AGs are elected to protect citizens from the criminals, not the other way around. Williams succeeded where Kane failed.
Let’s also not lose sight of the fact that Kane never said those targeted were righteous upstanding citizens. She just said that the targets were chosen in a possibly racist process and that the investigation and sting were a complete clusterf*** that would never pass muster in a court of law. So far, she’s been proven absolutely correct in that judgement.
You’re right David, letting bank robbers walk away is the right message to send to the City of Brotherly Love.
Kane apologists, these legislators admitted wrongdoing and are resigning from office. That would not have happened if Williams did not prosecute. Kane is a disgrace. And, no, Ron Waters is not part of the vast male conspiracy to make Kane look bad.
Another “slap on the wrist”. No real penalty (less than a lawyer and court costs) for the defendants.
So, no one actually convicted on the original charge of bribery (the charges that Kane and the FBI didn’t pursue).
Unsanctioned R-
Williams has given them a pass. These charges amount to little more than catching a bank robber and only charging him with jaywalking as he fled the police. These plea deals are a joke.
Ms. Brown will go down in the history books as “guilty” whether she admits to it or the judge affirms it. Thank you Mr. Williams for not endorsing their behavior like our disgraced AG has by giving them a pass.
Great post, Montco PA Dem.
Now let’s focus on “PornGate.” The judiciary needs to open the blinds and allow the light to shine on the judges, prosecutors and special agents who were abusing their positions and oaths of office.
Tyrone Ali walks away with $400,000 in state monies. Prosecutors claim victory in one count plea deals. Law enforcement does porno at work and hides behind a judge’s order. “Something is wrong in River City.”
Once again, softball plea bargains that the two accused would be nuts to reject. Defendants get probation, they keep their pensions, and basically have to return the money that came from sleazebag con artist Tyrone Ali. The two defendants return a total of $7,000 to the Philly DA to cover “cost of prosecution.” Ha! More proof that this garbage can of a case was every bit the racist foul-up that Kane said it was from the start. I look forward to Vannessa Brown taking it to trial — wanna bet it never gets to a courtroom?