Another probe of Philly lawmakers accused of accepting cash, gifts may be under way

    Yet another government body appears to be investigating four Philadelphia Democrats who allegedly accepted cash or gifts from an undercover informant.

     

     

    A letter from the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission appears to indicate that an investigation into four state lawmakers implicated in a corruption sting is under way.

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    The letter was sent last week to activist Gene Stilp in response to his complaints against the four lawmakers named in a Philadelphia Inquirer report in March.

    Stilp, also a Democratic candidate for a state House seat, said the panel’s findings could lead to fines against the lawmakers.

    “If they find that there’s enough to prosecute, they turn the prosecution over to the attorney general’s office,” he said Monday. “Which is ironic, because she has not prosecuted.

    The state House Ethics Committee and Philadelphia district attorney’s office also are investigating the four after the Democratic state Attorney General Kathleen Kane dropped the case, calling it flawed.

    Reports on the aborted sting prompted activists to call for criminal charges to be filed, and spurred some lawmakers to propose tighter ethics laws.

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