Feds indict powerful Philly union boss, councilman, others

Source: Associated Press

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
an hour ago

Philadelphia region and outsized influence in city and state politics has been indicted in alleged schemes to embezzle more than $600,000 and have a councilman on the union payroll do his bidding at City Hall.

Johnny “Doc” Dougherty has steered tens of millions of dollars to political candidates in Pennsylvania, most of them Democrats, during his 25-year tenure running the electricians union. He helped get Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney elected to office in 2015, the same year his brother, Kevin Dougherty, won a seat on the state Supreme Court.

And he’s used his muscle to influence political and business decisions large and small.

According to the 116-count indictment, Dougherty pressed Comcast Corp. to steer $2 million worth of electrical work to a friend as the media giant negotiated the renewal of the city’s 15-year cable lease; pressured Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to have union workers install MRI machines even though the warranty called for it to be done by the manufacturer; and had his point man at City Hall, Councilman Bobby Henon, investigate a towing company that seized Dougherty’s car.

-snip-


Read more: https://apnews.com/6e8a3427670143ff8ad16b3df86327bf

---

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern District of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Local 98 Leader John Dougherty, Philadelphia City Councilman Robert Henon, and Six Others Charged in 116-Count Public Corruption Indictment

PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that a grand jury returned a 116-count Indictment, charging Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“Local 98”) Business Manager John Dougherty, Philadelphia City Councilman Robert Henon, Local 98 employees Brian Burrows, Michael Neill, Marita Crawford, Niko Rodriguez, Brian Fiocca, and local business owner Anthony Massa with a multitude of federal crimes, including embezzlement, wire fraud, and public corruption offenses.

John Dougherty, 58, of Philadelphia, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union and employee benefit plan; 34 counts of embezzlement and theft of labor union assets; 23 counts of wire fraud thefts from Local 98; two counts of wire fraud thefts from a political action committee; two counts of falsification of annual financial reports filed by a labor union; two counts of falsification of financial records required to be kept by a labor union; five counts of filing false federal income tax returns; one count of conspiracy to accept unlawful payments from an employer; eight counts of accepting unlawful payments from a union contractor; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and federal program bribery; 11 counts of honest services wire fraud; and one count of honest services mail fraud.

Philadelphia City Councilman Robert Henon, 50, of Philadelphia, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and federal program bribery; 14 counts of honest services wire fraud; one count of honest services mail fraud; and four counts of federal program bribery.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/local-98-leader-john-dougherty-philadelphia-city-councilman-robert-henon-0