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fattah
Penn Democrats Speaker Event Credit: Ying Pan

West Philadelphia U.S. Rep. and 1986 Fels Institute of Government graduate Chaka Fattah, who was found guilty in a racketeering case earlier this week, has resigned from Congress effective immediately.

Fattah previously said he would resign Oct. 3, but on Thursday he wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House, Rep. Paul Ryan, relating the change in plans, 6abc reported.

Ryan called for Fattah’s immediate resignation in a statement late Wednesday. He also said Fattah had betrayed the trust of his constituents and the House.

Fattah wrote that he changed his mind “upon reflection,” adding that he did not want to distract from the “House’s work for the people.”

“I am honored to have had the privilege to serve,” he wrote.

Fattah was one of the region’s longest-serving members of Congress. In April’s Democratic primary, Fattah lost his bid for a 12th term to State Rep. Dwight Evans.

Fattah has been charged on 23 counts, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud and filing false statements as part of a years-long criminal scheme that included Fattah lobbying for an appointment as an ambassador for one of his co-conspirators. His sentencing will take place on Oct. 4.

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