Guilty on some charges for Phila. city hall aide

A federal jury convicted City Councilman Jack Kelly's former chief of staff, ex-campaign treasurer, and one of Kelly's chief campaign contributors today of a conspiracy to buy influence in City Hall, though jurors rejected most of the charges against the three men and acquitted a fourth defendant.

Christopher Wright was found guilty on three of 13 counts that accused him of selling his services as Kelly's top aide to developer-brothers Hardeep and Ravinder "Ravi" Chawla and their company attorney, Andrew Teitelman.

Ravi Chawla was convicted on four of 12 counts, Teitelman on three of nine counts. Jurors came back with a verdict at 11 a.m., in their sixth-day of deliberations. The trial began Jan. 27.

Hardeep Chawla was acquitted of all four counts against him, including a bribery charge for a $1,000 check he gave Wright for Christmas in 2005. Wright was accused of taking the $1,000, a free apartment, a free parking space and free legal help for his services.

"It's a partial victory," Hardeep Chawla said outside court, noting that his brother, lawyer and friend were found guilty.

Teitelman said he was disappointed for Wright, Ravi Chawla and himself, "but I'm thrilled that the jury was not fooled by the charges against Hardeep."

Teitelman was also Kelly's campaign treasurer from 2003 and 2008, and steered at least $39,000 in contributions from the Chawlas to Kelly's campaigns during that time.

Defense attorneys said they would ask U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno to overturn the verdict - they have 30 days to file post-trial motions. They said the most serious charge, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, was not supported by the individual acts that constituted the other charges.

"We'll be back," Wright's lawyer, Lisa Mathewson, said.

Kelly, a Republican at-large Councilman who testified that Wright was only doing Kelly's bidding by assisting the Chawlas, issued a statement after the verdict.

"In the end, I believe that Mr. Wright was given a fair trial," Kelly said. "Although over his long career with the City of Philadelphia he has assisted countless residents, the jury has concluded that in these instances Mr. Wright violated the public's trust, and he must now face the consequences."