PHILADELPHIA — Rep. Chaka Fattah resigned his House seat effective immediately on Thursday, a day after Republican leaders balked at his plan to remain in Congress for three months following his conviction on federal corruption charges.
In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, the Philadelphia Democrat wrote that he had hoped to resign Oct. 3 — a day before his sentencing date — to ensure an orderly transition.
“However, out of respect for the entire House leadership, and so as not to cause a distraction from the House's work for the people, I have changed my effective date,” the letter said.
Fattah, 59, stepped down two days after a federal jury convicted him on 22 counts including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and fraud. His decision ends a two-decade congressional career that saw him arrive in Washington from West Philadelphia as the winner of an upset election and rise to become a member of the old guard with a plum assignment on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
But it didn't come without a push. Republicans were mounting a vote to expel Fattah even before he submitted a resignation letter Wednesday with his proposed Oct. 3 departure date.
His immediate departure spares his party the potentially embarrassing situation of grappling with that GOP effort while also preparing for their presidential nominating convention in Philadelphia next month, at which Fattah was to be a superdelegate for presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.
Even after the congressman's conviction, local party leaders were hesitant to call for him to step aside, suggesting the decision should be left up to Fattah.
Under House rules, he could have remained in office through January, though he would have been barred from voting on legislation or participating in committee proceedings. Fattah lost a re-election bid for a 12th term in office in April's Democratic primary to state Rep. Dwight Evans.
Rep. Robert Brady, chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Committee and Fattah's longtime friend, said Thursday that the congressman's resignation meant he also gave up his superdelegate status.
“He did the right thing,” Brady said. “I told him to do the right thing.”
