Philadelphia District Attorney charged with bribery, extortion

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has been indicted for bribery and extortion after a two-year investigation.

Williams is accused of taking more than $160,000 in luxury gifts, vacations, and cash in return for using his position to help bribers, including helping with a court case.

The indictment states that Williams “sought and accepted bribes in the form of money, expensive vacations, airline tickets, a Jaguar XK8 convertible, expensive furniture, and other things of value, in exchange for his willingness to take official action as needed and in some cases taking official action on behalf of the bribe payers.”

Williams, whose salary is $175,00 per year, admitted that he had financial problems after his divorce, and found it hard to pay for his daughter’s private school.

The indictment states that some of the money went to pay for a vacation with his then-girlfriend in a presidential suite of a Punta Cana resort; a custom $3,400 sofa, and use of a Jaguar XJ-8 convertible.

In return Williams allegedly tried to engineer a reduced jail term for the friend of a friend, and set up a meeting between a business owner and an airport police official to help the businessman avoid enhanced screening when returning to the United States from abroad.

The indictment also states that Williams spent $10,000 from a joint account he shared with a relative meant for the relative’s nursing home costs.

Williams is expected to surrender himself for arraignment on Wednesday, March 22. His legal team promised they would defend him vigorously.


AP