Pa. Politician Accused of Defrauding Charities

A powerful politician in Pennsylvania has been indicted by the FBI on charges of using more than $2-million in charity and taxpayer money to finance personal expenses, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

State Senator Vincent J. Fumo has been indicted on 139 counts, including fraud, conspiracy, and destroying evidence. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

The indictment accuses Mr. Fumo of spending the money on a wide range of items, including political polls, cars, and hiring private detectives to follow his ex-girlfriends and political rivals.

Mr. Fumo is also accused of directing money from a Philadelphia charity he supported, Citizens’ Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, for personal projects and helping to file false tax returns on its behalf. The organization’s former executive director, Ruth Arnao, has also been indicted, as well as two computer technicians Mr. Fumo employed.

The day before the indictment, Mr. Fumo had dismissed the pending charges as “falsities and half-truths.”