The 65-year-old former state senator
was found guilty of all 137 counts against him, which also included
obstruction of justice for destroying e-mail evidence. The jury
deliberated about the Philadelphia Democrat's fate for about six days
after a five-month trial. Prosecutors are expected to seek a
sentence of more than 10 years under federal guidelines, based on the
size of the fraud, the obstruction conviction and other factors. After the verdict was read, Fumo hugged his distraught college-age daughter and his girlfriend before leaving the courtroom.
"Just heartbroken," Fumo said when asked about the verdict as he left
the courthouse. His lawyer, Dennis Cogan, said he was disappointed but
would appeal. U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter denied
a government request to revoke Fumo's bail but planned to hear
arguments about possible conditions such as electronic monitoring at a
hearing Monday afternoon. Former Fumo aide Ruth Arnao was found guilty of all 45 counts against her, including defrauding Citizens' Alliance, a nonprofit. Fumo testified in his defense for six days, comparing some of his excesses to spitting on the sidewalk.
The showdown with prosecutors capped a long trial that detailed the
enviable lifestyle Fumo lived, owning a $5.5 million mansion in
downtown Philadelphia, a farm near Harrisburg, and vacation homes at
the New Jersey shore and Florida waterfront. Prosecutors
charged that he misspent more than $2 million of senate resources and
another $1.5 million from the Citizens' Alliance for Better
Neighborhoods and the Independence Seaport Museum. Arnao, a
former aide who ran Citizens' Alliance, is married to Fumo's friend,
and with her husband enjoyed free yacht trips with Fumo on a
museum-owned vessel. A string of Senate employees testified
during the trial that they ran Fumo's farm, handled his finances,
prepared campaign material and even spied on an ex-lover, often during
work days. Fumo argued that no Senate rules defined a work day
as daytime hours. He repeated the central defense argument that his
employees toiled day and night for the government—and did other work
for him on their own time. Prosecutors said Fumo plundered the
resources of Citizens' Alliance after persuading Peco Energy, a utility
regulated by the state, to give the group $17 million. Fumo admitted
only that he "borrowed" tools and equipment worth a fraction of that
amount, or accepted a modest of perks in exchange for his time. He had
started the nonprofit and called it "my nonprofit, my entity, my baby."
They say he also systematically destroyed e-mail evidence during the long FBI probe, the basis for obstruction charges.
A multimillionaire banker and lawyer, Fumo was the longtime ranking
Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He left the Senate
last year after 30 years in office to defend the criminal case. He beat
two previous indictments early in his 30-year political career.
Throughout his testimony, Fumo insisted that his Senate, campaign and
personal lives were inextricably intertwined. Given what he called the
federal government's "microscopic scrutiny," he said he should have
told Senate staffers to be more careful about separating their work for
the various entities.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Vincent Fumo, once one
of the most powerful figures in Pennsylvania politics, was convicted
Monday of more than 130 counts of corruption for schemes that defrauded
the state Senate and others of more than $3.5 million and allowed him
to live a lavish lifestyle.