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Pa. ex-congressman's appeal nets mixed bag

A federal appeals court on Thursday threw out some of the convictions for which a Pennsylvania ex-congressman is serving a decade-long prison term but upheld and reinstated other counts.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned four criminal convictions against former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Philadelphia Democrat, citing in part a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that narrowed the definition of political graft.

The judges said federal prosecutors could retry Fattah and co-defendant Herbert Vederman for conspiracy, bribery and money laundering. The appeals court also reinstated the convictions of both men for bank fraud and making false statements to banks.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia said it was reviewing the decision. Fattah’s lawyer declined to comment and Vederman’s did not return messages.

Fattah’s legal trouble relates to his unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination for Philadelphia mayor in 2007. He routed a $1 million loan through a consultant, then reversed the secretive moves through a charity and others when the debt was called.

Fattah is a former state lawmaker who spent two decades in Congress before his 2016 conviction on charges that also included racketeering, fraud and obstruction.

The newly dismissed charges involve allegations Fattah accepted “things of value” from businessman Vederman, described as his personal friend, in return for arranging a meeting between him and the U.S. trade representative; unsuccessfully trying to get Vederman an ambassadorship; and hiring Vederman’s longtime girlfriend, Alexandra Zionts, for two months on his congressional staff in Philadelphia.

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