Indictments, fracking and self-representation. See who made this week’s list!

Seth Williams. The Philadelphia District Attorney scored quite the legal (and PR) victory when he was able to bring charges against two State Representatives for accepting bribes. After being challenged by the Attorney General Kathleen Kane to find something in an investigation, it now appears that Williams has been vindicated.

Kathleen Kane. Speaking of the Attorney General, this news meant it would be another bad week for her. Kane argued in March that there was nothing to this case and went so far as to hint that it was racially motivated. That contention was undercut when the black District Attorney of Philadelphia brought charges. On top of that, Congressman Brady called out Kane, telling the Inquirer “she was asleep at the switch.” Just a week after she had to scale back her ambitions from the Senate to re-election, it now looks like re-nomination might not be a sure thing.

Nelson Diaz. The PA Society weekend usually produces its fair share of news. Prospective candidates are always eager to make a big splash and in a year of few announcements, his revelation was arguably the biggest. Diaz flatly admitted to WHYY’s Dave Davies that he’ll jump into the Philly mayoral race on January 15th. As a result, the Judge got the spotlight at a prosperous time.

Environmentalists. Anti-fracking activists scored a huge victory when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned the practice in the Empire State. Unfortunately for environmentalists in the Keystone State, though, Governor-Elect Tom Wolf doesn’t feel the same way. Wolf’s team reiterated his support of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Although the PA Democratic Party called for a moratorium on fracking during their 2013 State Committee meeting, it appears clear their elected officials aren’t willing to follow the rank and file.

Chaka Fattah Jr. The Congressman’s son, who is facing up to 418 years in prison from 23 separate counts, has decided to represent himself in court. The judge advised Fattah Jr. that this would be an unwise decision, but the accused remained determined. “My life is on the line here,” he explained. Sadly, it seems the only person Chaka Fattah Jr. trusts is himself.

The tweet of the week was a tie this week. First, we have the following from Daily News Eagles reporter Les Bowen.

We do our best here at PoliticsPA to respect all sides. It is obvious the Philadelphia Eagles are the NFL’s superior team and the only proper squad for Keystone State residents to root for. Nonetheless, we admire the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. We feel for the fans of the New York Jets, and yes, we even have a grudging respect for the NFC East rival New York Giants. However, we here at PoliticsPA can not excuse, and will not tolerate, any association with the Dallas Cowboys. Chris Christie, you brought this on yourself!

Those photos of Chris Christie in the box last night, I kept looking for Carrie Fisher in a bikini on a chain….

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) December 15, 2014

Additionally, there is this #ThrowBackThursday tweet from Senator Mike Folmer. Words fail us.

https://twitter.com/SenatorFolmer/status/545654440657956864