It’s time for U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah to go.
The 10-term congressman and former Temple trustee has obtained funding for neuroscience and green energy through his position as the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives’ Appropriations committee.
Nonetheless, a former staff member of Fattah’s recently implicated him in a guilty plea of lying to federal officials about his role in attempting to conceal to campaign-finance-related fraud schemes – and now the 57-year-old congressman faces an investigation into allegations that he improperly used federal, charitable and campaign funds for costs associated with his son’s college tuition. Additionally, the nonprofits which he supported were found to have paid out nearly $6 million to his friends and colleagues.
A congressman with a Temple connection who is able to garner funding for the sciences could be beneficial to the university. At the opening of the Science Education and Research Center, Fattah told The Temple News that he hoped the new building would help draw more young people from the community around the university to become interested in the sciences, a commendable cause.
However, Fattah – whose second congressional district covers the area surrounding Temple as well as Germantown and West Philadelphia – ought to sit out this next term, given the allegations.
The Temple community needs a congressman who it can trust.
Armond James, who is running against Fattah, is untested. But his reputation, unlike Fattah’s, is not sullied by the possible presence of misconduct.
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