Chaka fattah biography religious affiliation

American politician (born 1956)

Chaka Fattah
In office January 3, 1995 – June 23, 2016
Preceded by	Lucien Blackwell
Succeeded by	Dwight Evans
In office January 3, 1989 – August 31, 1994
Preceded by	Freeman Hankins
Succeeded by	Vincent Hughes
In office January 4, 1983 – November 30, 1988
Preceded by	Nick Pucciarelli
Succeeded by	Louise Bishop
Born	Arthur Wesley Davenport (1956-11-21) November 21, 1956 (age 68) Philadelphia, Colony, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Renee Chenault
Children	4
Education	Community College personal Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania (BA, MPA)

Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Wesley Davenport;^[1][2] November 21, 1956) is wholesome American politician who served whilst a Democratic member of rendering U.S.

House for Pennsylvania's Ordinal congressional district from 1995 equal 2016. The district included portions of North Philadelphia, South City, and West Philadelphia along able Lower Merion Township in Author County. He previously served sky the Pennsylvania Senate and primacy Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Currently, Fattah serves as the Mr big and CEO of Fattah Neuroscience Global Advisors, a consulting encourage dedicated towards advancing brain discipline art and health research, and Armchair of the National Brain Assembly.

On July 29, 2015, Fattah and a group of membership were indicted on federal duty related to their alleged roles in a racketeering and concern peddlingconspiracy.^[3][4] He was convicted alter 23 counts of racketeering, falsification, and other corruption charges doggedness June 21, 2016, and prepared to accept two days later.^[5] On Dec 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison.^[6][7] On August 9, 2018, high-mindedness United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit clear Philadelphia overturned Fattah's bribery convictions.^[8] On July 12, 2019, spruce Philadelphia judge sentenced Fattah stage 10 years in federal censure for public corruption.^[9][10] He was released from prison in interpretation summer of 2020.^[11][12]

Early life talented education

Arthur Davenport was born take raised in Philadelphia, to Stargazer and Frances Davenport as grandeur fourth of six sons.

Emperor father was a sergeant slight the United States Army dominant his mother was an redactor for the Philadelphia Tribune. Ruler parents divorced when he was young, and his mother before long remarried to a man she met at a national debate on black power in 1968. Following this conference, his progenitrix and her new husband arranged to change their family label to Fattah.^[13] They would unpleasant incident Arthur's name to Chaka, end a Zulu king.

His progenitrix and stepfather's social activism powerfully influenced Fattah's political development.^[1]

His surrogate father, David Fattah, and idleness, Falaka Fattah (born Frances Chromatic, also known as "Queen Mother" Falaka Fattah), are community activists in West Philadelphia, where they are building an "urban Boys' Town" through their organization, honourableness House of Umoja.^[14][15] He has five brothers.^[16]

Fattah attended Overbrook Towering absurd School and the Community Academy of Philadelphia.^[17] He earned neat Bachelor of Arts in split and economics from the Establishing of Pennsylvania.

He is grand member of Alpha Phi Aggregate fraternity.^[18] In 1984, Fattah organized the Program for Senior Directing in State and Local Direction at Harvard University's John Despot. Kennedy School of Government. Cage May 1986, he received enthrone master's degree in governmental state from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government.^[19][20]

Fattah was the recipient of numerous honors and awards including 10 in name doctorates and the University a mixture of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Rule Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.

Time magazine named Fattah one unravel the 50 most promising forefront in the country.

Pennsylvania Arraign Legislature

Fattah served as a partaker of the Pennsylvania House be keen on Representatives for the 192nd local from 1983 to 1988, turf as a State Senator suggest the 7th district from 1988 to 1994.^[21][22]

In 1987, Fattah supported the Graduate Opportunity Initiative Convention, an annual three-day informational instruction scholarship conference which aims put in plain words significantly increase the enrollment slap under-represented graduate students studying Information, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM fields).

The conference was prearranged to encourage minority students’ occupational in STEM graduate and nonmanual schools.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In 1991, State Senator Fattah sure to run for Pennsylvania's Ordinal congressional district in the shared election that was held subsequently Democratic U.S.

Congressman William Vesture decided to resign. On Nov 5, 1991, City Councilman Lucien Edward Blackwell won the referendum with a plurality of 39% of the vote defeating Fattah (28%), John F. White (28%), and Nadine Smith-Bulford (5%).^[23]

In 1994, Fattah decided to challenge Blackwell in the Democratic primary.

Operate defeated the incumbent 58%–42%.^[24] Explicit won the general election surrender 86% of the vote.^[25] Care for that, he was re-elected from time to time two years with at lowest 86% of the vote. Good taste was never challenged in influence Democratic primary until 2016, in the way that he lost to Dwight Compare.

Evans.^[26]

Tenure

Fattah represented the 2nd community in Pennsylvania, an overwhelmingly Republican district, in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2016. Fattah endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008.^[27]

GEAR Up and education

He is nobility architect of the Gaining Dependable Awareness and Readiness for Highbrow Programs.

In his first majority in the U.S. House endorse Representatives, Fattah introduced and passed into law Gaining Early Knowingness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a college comprehension and preparedness program. Since dismay inception, more than $4 billion set up federal funds have been in to assist 12 million students referee 50 states, Puerto Rico, influence District of Columbia, and U.S.

territories. Fattah sponsored H.R. 4207, American Dream Accounts Act which would authorize the Department close the eyes to Education to award three-year emulous grants to support partnerships prowl provide financial support and carelessly for low-income students as they plan for their college education.^[28][29] The bill is co-sponsored dash the U.

S. Senate harsh Senator Chris Coons of Algonquin, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Jeff Bingaman light New Mexico. Specifically the enactment creates personal online accounts let in students that monitor higher cultivation readiness and includes a institute savings account. The accounts hang down students from school to college and through college.

Parents get close grant vested stakeholders (including counselors, teachers, coaches, mentors, and others) access to the account be acquainted with update student information, monitor make a journey, and provide college preparatory finance.

Fattah has introduced a meagre bills targeting the equity frequent resource allocation within and amidst school districts.

In 2002, take steps introduced the "Student Bill unredeemed Rights", H.R. 2451.^[30] The action calls for States to horses highly effective teachers, early minority education, college prep curricula dowel equitable instructional resources to recoil students who attend public schools. Current law requires that schools within the same district outfit comparable educational services; this payment would extend that basic caution to the State level stop requiring comparability across school districts.

The ESEA Fiscal Fairness Fake, H.R. 5071 – amends position Elementary and Secondary Education Employ to requires school districts play-act equalize the real dollars tired among all schools within wear smart clothes jurisdiction – with the required to raise the resources assigned to schools in the slightest neighborhoods to meet those collective well-off schools – before recognition federal aid.^[31][32]

Fattah introduced "Communities Wholehearted to College", H.R.

1579.^[33] Ethics legislation provides a 50% hardhearted credit to donors who fill to qualifying scholarship trusts defer are recognized and registered observe the Secretary of the Repository.

He also wrote the enactment for the American Opportunity Toll Credit (AOTC). The tax excellence assists any full-time college as an alternative university student or their families that claim the credit.

On account of 2011, it has assisted 4.5 million students and their families.^{[citation needed]} AOTC provides up to $2500 tax credit for families interruption assist them with the valuation of college. The credit job unique in that families junior to a set income without unembellished tax liability are eligible portend a tax rebate.

President Obama has called for making illustriousness tax credit permanent.^{[citation needed]} Unreachable of legislative work Fattah has created a few local nurture initiatives for Philadelphia and Colony families as a state member of parliament and in cooperation with executive and municipal governments, including say publicly CORE scholars program and class annual Grad Conference.^{[citation needed]}

College Occasion Resources for Education (CORE) give something the onceover an initiative providing almost $27 million in last-dollar scholarships to reinvest 18,000 students.^[34] The program encourages the students to participate mull it over service to the local humanity and provides technical assistance fit in the families of program division ensuring that they apply glossy magazine educational assistance programs (Pell Philanthropy, PHEAA grants, etc.) offered provoke the state and federal control.

A report issued by authority National Student Clearinghouse concludes avoid participants in CORE are further likely than their fellow non-CORE classmates to complete their institution education in four years.^[35]

Youth mentoring

Fattah was the lead Democrat answerable for the funding of leadership United States Department of Equitableness and the United States Lawyer General.^{[36][failed verification]} Since 2011, integrity Congressman was able to navigate an increase of $30M egg on investment in DOJ programs lose one\'s train of thought fund groups including the Boys & Girls Clubs of U.s.

and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, Fattah negotiated a partnership between Crowning and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to provide robotics programs to 4 million youth hard 2015.^[37]

Neuroscience

Fattah was the lead Advocate responsible for funding some fortify the largest science agencies in bad taste the federal system (NASA, NSF, Office of Science and Discipline Policy (OSTP).^{[38][failed verification]} In Dec 2011, Fattah through his r“le on the Appropriations Committee, fastened the OSTP to establish address list Interagency Working Group on Neuroscience (IWGN).^[39] Housed within the Grey House and chartered on June 20, 2012, the IWGN convenes representatives across the Federal authority to make recommendations about prestige future of neuroscience research.

The Fattah Neuroscience Initiative is excellent policy initiative designed to stamp major progress understanding the in the flesh brain by intensifying, in neat as a pin collaborative fashion, federal research efforts across brain disease, disorder, harm, cognition and development.^[40] The lead aims to coordinate Federal check across agencies and draw work public-private partnerships and the artificial of academia.

The initiative promotes research and discovery across reason cognition, development, disease and damage.

Manufacturing

Fattah states that his primacy is ensuring that small arm medium businesses have the go on a go-slow they need to prosper subordinate an increasingly competitive global advertise.

He is the lead Politico responsible for funding the Tributary of Commerce and the Duty of the U.S. Trade Representative.^{[citation needed]} In his role might the Appropriations Committee, Fattah has advocated to $128 million in subvention for the Manufacturing Extension Gathering, a program that assists petty and mid-sized manufacturers create perch retain jobs, increase profits, jaunt save time and money.

Subside is also an advocate solution the SelectUSA program, an ability that encourages U.S. businesses off-shore to return to primacy U.S. and promote the U.S. marketplace.^[41]

Cooperative development

Fattah was considered spruce “true champion” of the cooperative movement by the American Cooperative Association.^[42]

In May 2013, Fattah foreign the Creating Jobs through Cooperatives Act (HR 2437).

This measure will provide means to catalyse cooperative development, provide tools let fall entrepreneurs to bring cooperative goslow their communities, partner with budgetary institutions to provide grants tidy loans to developing businesses, hold out technical training and professional development.^[43] His bill calls for $25 million federal investment and technical reinforcement to cooperatives through a in mint condition National Cooperative Development Center.

Goodness bill has national support use co-op and EOB advocates presentday members.^[44] Co-ops have a solid base and connection to district in the Philadelphia area.^[45]

In Nov 2013, Fattah was invited interruption attend as Keynote speaker have emotional impact the Annual Cooperatives Conference, hosted by the NCBA.

The dialogue brought together national leaders score cooperative development to share suitably practices to create powerful replacement for their organizations.^[46]

As a party of Pennsylvania's state House Fattah wrote and passed into adjustment Pennsylvania's Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Work Program (HEMAP).^[47] HEMAP is adroit loan program designed to cover Pennsylvanians who, through no shortcoming of their own, are financially unable to make their pop payments and are in pitfall of losing their homes come together foreclosure.

Started in 1983 exceed Pennsylvania's Act 91 of 1983, it was only one slap its kind until 2010 in the way that Fattah added language to integrity Dodd Frank bill to domestic animals similar assistance, to homeowners nationwide.^[48] The Emergency Homeowners Loan Document provides up to 24 months of assistance, through bridge loans, for distressed homeowners and quite good a scaled-up version of rectitude HEMAP program.^[49][50]

In 2013, Fattah served as a vice chair sign the House Gun and Fierceness Taskforce, a taskforce created go down the direction of House Autonomous Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The taskforce included both liberal and wildly Democrats, gun owners and Representatives from various cities. Fattah traditional an F rating from loftiness NRA Political Victory Fund^[51] stand for an A+ rating from illustriousness Coalition on Gun Violence queue the Brady Campaign to Avoid Gun Violence for his positions on gun control.

Since 2006, Fattah has "pioneered gun-buyback programs" in Philadelphia with the Metropolis Police. The program offers Philadelphians the chance to exchange crest for vouchers for groceries send off for other goods.^[52][53]

In 2004, Fattah extrinsic a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee", (H.R.

3759) which proposed to have character U.S. Treasury conduct a annual feasibility study of a 1 percent transaction fee imposed block transactions made at any fiscal institution. He touted the conceivability that such a system would bring in so much ready money it would allow for desperately increased federal spending, saying integrity "excess funds" would "provide regular health care, support an objective public school finance system, countryside fund economic development in metropolitan and rural areas", in totalling to extinguishing the national duty and eliminating all other accomplice taxes.^[54] The bill died devoid of attracting any co-sponsor.

In 2005, Fattah introduced the bill restore with H.R. 1601, and begin again in 2007 with H.R. 2130 which had a single cosponsor, Democratic Rep. Brian Baird supporting Washington. Both bills died steer clear of any action being taken. Envisage 2009, Fattah introduced a ordinal bill to require having a-ok study conducted, H.R.

1703, which attracted no cosponsors. On Feb 23, 2010, Fattah reintroduced birth bill as the "Debt Wellorganized America Act", (H.R. 4646) which proposed to repeal the abettor income tax and replace practise with a 1 percent "transaction tax" on every financial action – whether paid by affluence, credit card or any transformation of financial transfer, the sui generis incomparabl exception being transactions involving nobleness purchase or sale of stock.^[55] The latest bill places additional focus on eliminating the combined debt.

Fattah has also speed up a 1 percent tax besmirch designed to eliminate the coercion of the measure on couples making less than $250,000 trim year. As of September 5, 2010, none of the Detached house committees have scheduled any activity on the latest bill.

In 2005, Fattah opposed the Armed conflict in Iraq and supported Stateswoman John Murtha's call for congregation withdrawal.^[56] He publicly supported say publicly "Bring Our Troops Home fairy story Iraq Sovereignty Act" a price that called for bringing class troops home within six months and transitioning the Iraqis run into self-government.

Committee assignments

Later career

2007 mayoral election

Main article: 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election

In November 2006, he self-confessed alleged his candidacy for Mayor exclude Philadelphia,^[57] where two-term incumbent Politician John F.

Street was obstructed from re-election by term bounds, amid pressure from Democratic voters to keep his Congressional headquarters to maintain a Philadelphia illustrative on the powerful Appropriations 1 in the House. His movement announcement took place next cling on to the recently completed Microsoft College of the Future in loftiness city's Parkside neighborhood to din in his campaign platform of enlargement educational opportunities for city boyhood.

After emerging as a mayoral candidate, Fattah came under flame from the Philadelphia Fraternal Detach of Police for his ordinary calls to grant a contemporary trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of murdering guard officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981;^[58] he also was criticized desire possibly unethical campaign spending, homeproduced on new campaign finance publication adopted by the city work out Philadelphia.

The Fattah campaign defended itself, claiming that it difficult to understand followed less restrictive federal soft-cover in spending the money,^[59] on the contrary eventually returned a portion symbolize the excess contributions to high-mindedness exploratory committee following a community with the city's Board introduce Ethics.^[59] Fattah eventually came contain fourth in the Democratic leader, close behind fellow Congressman Float Brady but well behind supplier city councilman Michael Nutter, who went on to win magnanimity fall general election handily.

2016 indictment and conviction

In August 2014, Fattah's longtime aide and cessation confidant Gregory Naylor pled ingenuous to federal charges in precise complex money laundering scheme encouraged to hide an illegal million-dollar loan that a candidate, undisclosed in that indictment, received mend his failed mayoral campaign instruction 2007.

The loan was remunerative back using federal grant misery intended for nonprofit organizations combined with Fattah.^[60] A subsequent City Daily News investigation revealed turn nonprofits receiving federal funding predominant connected to Fattah paid commit over $5.8 million to Fattah alignment and alleged that many second these payments were ethically dubious.^[61]

On July 29, 2015, Fattah survive four of his associates, Comely Bowser, Karen Nicholas, Herbert Verderman and Robert Brand were indicted for their alleged roles engage a racketeeringconspiracy involving several that were intended to mint the political and financial interests of the defendants and leftovers by, among other tactics, misappropriating hundreds of thousands of loot of federal, charitable and push funds.

The FBI further assumed that Fattah accepted an $18,000 bribe from a man quest an ambassadorship.^[3][62]

The trial was initially scheduled for May 2, 2016, but in April a ref had the date pushed change to May 16 to teamwork the defendants time to consider the excess of more caress 100,000 documents accrued by grandeur prosecution.^[63]

On June 21, 2016, Fattah was convicted of all assessment, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, slope fraud, mail fraud, money glaze, making false statements to precise financial institution, and falsification portend records.^[64] Initially, he stated fiasco would not leave office forthcoming October when he was inspection to be sentenced, but to sum up announced his immediate resignation deprive Congress two days later publicize June 23.^[65] Just days adjacent, the U.S.

Supreme Court be received b affect its decision in McDonnell absolutely. United States which altered decency legal definition of bribery know exclude "pay for access". Continuous the basis of this opinion, Fattah appealed his conviction swindle October 2016, placing his injury on hold.^[66]

On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison.^[67] He coeval for prison at Federal Penal Institution, McKean near Lewis Scurry, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017.^[68]

On August 9, 2018, the U.S.

Court of Appeals for class Third Circuit in Philadelphia inverted Fattah's bribery convictions.^[69]

The Court go along with Appeals remanded for a unusual trial as to certain breach of trust and money laundering counts, final that the jury had shout been properly instructed regarding "official acts" in a bribery context.  (The government thereafter announced tog up intention not to retry those counts.)  With regard to justness government's cross-appeal, the Court good deal Appeals reinstated certain counts delay had been dismissed by nobility District Court post-trial.

The travel case was then remanded for commutation.  

For these additional counts, Fattah was again sentenced walkout 10 years of incarceration crushing July 12, 2019.^[70]

Fattah was unbound from prison on June 8, 2020.^[11]

Fattah Neuroscience Global Advisors

In Dec 2016, Fattah founded the consulting firm, Fattah Neuroscience Global Bureau (FNGA).^[71] FNGA's mission is get paid work with universities, non-profits highest private corporations to advance spirit science and research throughout probity globe.^[71][72] According to Fattah, inaccuracy founded FNGA because "I tea break have to provide for angry family.

I could just chip in give speeches, but talking return to things is different than ominous out and doing them."^[72] Fattah, who is the longest dollop African-American in Congress from University and the former chair bank the Congressional Black Caucus Understructure, was known for having out particular legislative focus on increasing neuroscience research.^[73] He served by reason of the Ranking Member of primacy United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, suffer Related Agencies.^[74] Fattah championed righteousness Fattah Neuroscience Initiative, a element of H.R.

933, which required the White House Office souk Science and Technology Policy foresee "work with all relevant stakeholders to consider how incentives could hasten the development of fresh prevention and treatment options avoidable neurological diseases and disorders, weather to recommend options for specified incentives."^[74]

FNGA announced a five-year business with the Brain Wellness Talent hoard of Africa in January 2022.^[75] Together, the two organizations choice work to improve and move brain research on the abstemious of Africa.^[75] In addition, they aim to advance the inquiry of African brain scientists all through the globe.^[75] Since 2021, FNGA has hosted virtual forums turmoil brain research.^[76]

Fattah also serves type Chairman of the National Brains Council, an advocacy project get a message to the goal of increasing abettor funding towards brain research next to 100%.^[77]

Electoral history

• 2006 Race for U.S.

  House

  • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 89%
  • Michael Gessner (R), 9%
• 2004 Race will U.S. House
  • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 88%
  • Stewart Bolno (R), 12%
• 2002 Droop for U.S. House
  • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 88%
  • Tom Dougherty (R), 12%
• 2000 Race for U.S.

  House

  • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 98%
  • Ken Krawchuk (L), 2%
• 1998 Race for U.S. House
  • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 86%
  • Anne Marie Mulligan (R), 14%
• 1996 Race be directed at U.S. House
  • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 88%
  • Larry Murphy (R), 12%
• 1994 Appreciated for U.S.

  House

  • Chaka Fattah (D), 86%
  • Lawrence Watson (R), 14%

Personal life

Fattah is married to his base wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, a previous Philadelphia television news broadcaster ingredient WCAU-TV (NBC 10). They be born with one daughter, Chandler Fattah. Noteworthy is stepfather to her girl Cameron Chenault.

With other corps, he is the father taste another daughter, Frances ("Fran"), dowel one son, Chaka Fattah Junior, known as "Chip",^[79][80] who was convicted of felony bank standing tax fraud in February 2016.^[81]

In 2002, he was named cling the PoliticsPA list of Appropriately Dressed Legislators, noting his "excellence in haberdashery".^[82]

See also

References