Former state lawmaker pleads guilty to stealing from charity
FILE- In this Jan. 9, 2018 file photo, Movita Johnson-Harrell, Interim Supervisor of Victim Services, looks on after getting introduced, during a press conference at the District Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. Johnson-Harrell, a former state representative, faces three months in a Philadelphia jail after pleading guilty Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, to charges she took money from a charity she established for the needy and spent it on vacations, clothing and other personal needs. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)
A former state representative faces three months in the Philadelphia jail after pleading guilty Thursday to charges she took money from a charity she established for the needy and spent it on vacations, clothing and other personal needs.
Former Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell entered the pleas in Philadelphia, more than a month after she resigned in the wake of charges from the state attorney general’s office.
Johnson-Harrell, 53, was also sentenced to 8 1/2 months of house arrest and must repay the nonprofit. She will turn over real estate that will be sold to help pay the restitution.
The organization, Motivations Education and Consultation Associates, aims to help the homeless, seniors, children and people with mental health or substance abuse challenges, among others.
Johnson-Harrell, a west Philadelphia Democrat, won a special election last year for the House seat that had become vacant when her predecessor, Vanessa Lowery Brown, was sentenced to probation on a bribery conviction.
“Movita is an exceptional woman who will serve her sentence, and then return to her mission of advocacy,” her attorney, Jessica Natali, said in a written statement.
She pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges related to campaign and state financial reports and guilty to felony theft and perjury.
“This Philadelphia community would have been in a better place had this former public official invested MECA’s money into the people who needed the care she promised,” Attorney General Shapiro said in a statement.
Johnson-Harrell was the first Muslim woman to serve in the state House, campaigning on a platform of ending gun violence, and had worked in the victim and witness services unit of the Philadelphia district attorney’s office.
A judge set her surrender date for Feb. 6, according to the online docket.
A special election to fill her seat is scheduled for Feb. 25.
Comments
They'll vote in a baloney sandwich, if it has a "D" in front of it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_J._Trump_Foundation
And please include whether you support the way Donald and kids used the funds in the foundation. Specifically address the use of money that was supposed to go to 9/11 survivors being used to purchase portraits of trump as well as vacations for the trump family
What do I know about such things. It still doesn't matter to me, who cares? Well, if it's a matter of national security, and it isn't, then I'd care.
The only way to stop him is to impeach him, and that's not going well. If the hatred continues, his well being could be jeopardized. I think of the Bernie supporter and the baseball practice. But the hatred of Trump is so revved up, it doesn't seem far fetched. The scumbags like Maxine Waters, Shifty Schiff, Pelosi, and many others, would giggle inside. Sick Reprobates that they are.
It's not an issue with me.
I like that he had a change of heart, he evolved on his stance for abortion.
Trump was the first US President to attend the March For life rally. While many baby killers gathered in the chamber to try and rid us of a duly elected President, that said President was rallying to protect the lives of the unborn. What's more important than that? Hello?
You should listen to his speech from today.
If you want to talk about evolving views, look at evangelical’s views on abortion. Before FalwellReagan made it a cultural and racial battle, evangelicals supported abortion rights. Why wouldn’t they, the Bible supports abortion and even directs how to cause an abortion of a fetus conceived through adultery. Abortion was common in the Roman Empire yet Jesus never mentions it. Jewish law did not consider causing an abortion murder because life didn’t start until first breath. And that census Joseph and Mary travelled for? It only counted children older than a month.
The fact is evangelicals got manipulated by politicians to be one issue voters on an issue they never cared about until the late 70’s.
Evangelicals only started to see abortion as an issue when Latino immigration Became more widespread and they had large families. White Evangelicals became concerned their birth rates were too low to maintain dominance.
You twist things like Diablo. You claim to be a teacher of the Bible? What is your goal? For what reason, and of what spirit do you teach?
Again, you are bent.
Ok since you don’t use the Old Testament we don’t have to hear about the verse in the book of Jeremiah. Kindly tell me where Jesus addresses abortion. Abortion was widespread then, surely worth his time if he thought it was important right?
Jesus was pro-choice Mike. Prove me wrong.
Did you see the polls in 2016?
Don't make major decisions based off polls.
We'll see.
How do you think the families of the 8 servicemen hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries from the Iranian strike at Walter Reed feel about trump blowing off their sacrifice as headaches? Is that as bad as bone spurs?
Update on Trump falsehoods is: -16,241-
Don't go by polls when talking about Trump. There are many who will not admit to voting for the orange face. There are people who's lives were turned upside down for wearing one of Trump's hats. Are you proud of that? Bullying is OK if you're a socialist Democrat?
By the way, we don't elect through popular vote. But probably, you folks want to change that. Not going to happen. That will bring about the civil war.
Are you ok with minimizing soldiers with serious TBI needing weeks of hospitalization as having “just headaches”?
As for Trump, he'll never bring approval from your clan (whatever that clan is).
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You have been a hidden Genius.