Pa. ethics panel fines 2 former Philly lawmakers
The State Ethics Commission has fined two former Philadelphia legislators who previously pleaded guilty as a result of an undercover sting operation.
The panel said Thursday it fined former Rep. Ronald Waters $10,000 and former Rep. Michelle Brownlee $2,500 for ethical violations.
In June, Waters pleaded guilty to nine counts of conflict of interest and Brownlee pleaded guilty to one count stemming from allegations that they accepted cash from an undercover informant posing as a lobbyist. As part of their plea deals, the two Democrats were sentenced to probation and required to give up their House seats.
Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams prosecuted the cases after state Attorney General Kathleen Kane refused, saying that the cases were too flawed to win convictions.
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