You might remember way back in March 2014 when a Philadelphia DA made the decision not to pursue charges against Philadelphia politicians who were caught in a bribery sting. The reason the DA didn’t want to press charges was specifically because during the sting only the black politicians would take the bribes.
The bribes were offered to all politicians but only the black politicians took them, therefore the PA State Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, another Democrat, shut down the sting. The DA dropped the Grand Jury stating the sting itself was racist. The media embarrassed the prosecutors office, the DA was replaced, and the Grand Jury assigned.
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update-1PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday against two more elected officials swept up in the undercover sting investigation that state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane had argued could not be successfully prosecuted.
District Attorney Seth Williams announced conspiracy, bribery and conflict of interest charges against state Reps. Vanessa Lowery Brown and Ronald G. Waters, both Philadelphia Democrats, for accepting cash from an undercover operative.
In announcing the charges, Williams had harsh words for Kane, who he said had to be forced through “judicial intervention” to turn over key documents in the case.
As for Kane’s assertions that the sting investigation, begun by her predecessors, racially targeted elected officials, Williams said they were false, and that he was “disgusted” by them.[…]
According to sources, Waters is currently exploring a deal with prosecutors under which he would plead guilty to the felony charge of conflict of interest, but a bribery charge would be dropped.
While such a conviction would require Waters to step down from office, it would protect him from the loss of his state pension. A bribery conviction would cost him his pension.
It was unclear whether any negotiated plea would call for him to serve time behind bars.
Williams’ announcement brings to three the number of Philadelphia Democrats implicated in the sting to face charges. Two others – state Reps. Louise Williams Bishop and Michelle Brownlee – remain under the grand jury’s scrutiny.[…]
The plan to charge Waters and Brown will mark another professionally embarrassing moment for state Attorney General Kane, who earlier this year dared Williams, a fellow Democrat, to take on a case that she at one point characterized as “dead on arrival.”
Kane could not be reached for immediate comment.
Kane shuttered the sting in 2013, without bringing any charges and without informing the state Ethics Commission that the investigation had allegedly caught the four legislators, as well as a former city Traffic Court judge, Thomasine Tynes, on tape accepting cash or gifts.
The details of the case were buried in sealed court files.  (READ MORE)

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