PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The federal bribery trial of Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson and his wife, Dawn Chavous, begins Monday morning, more than two years after the couple was indicted as part of a larger case against two executives of Universal Charter Schools, a company founded by renowned Philadelphia music producer Kenny Gamble.
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Johnson and Chavous are accused of accepting a bribe from the executives, Abdur Rahim Islam and Shahied Dawan, in the form of a $66,000 contract between Universal and Chavous’ consulting firm. The indictment charges that Johnson then used his office to help Universal turn a profit on property the company owned in his district.
Johnson and Chavous deny the charges.
Here is a look at how we got here, and what to expect during the trial.
Key players
Three elected officials are among the dozens of witness that prosecutors said they might call, including:
• State Sen. Anthony Williams, for whom Johnson and Chavous both worked at one time.
• State Sen. Sharif Street.
• State Rep. Jordan Harris.
• William Hite, Philadelphia schools superintendent.
• Kelvin Jeremiah, Public Housing Authority president.
• Brian Abernathy, former city managing director.
Property developers Carl Dranoff and Ori Feibush — who ran against Johnson for council — are also listed among possible witnesses.
The defense said it plans to call some prominent Philadelphians, too, including:
• State Rep. Joanna McClinton, the first female minority leader of the Pa. House.
• Jeff Brown, Shop Rite CEO.
• Kevin Bethel, security chief of the School District of Philadelphia.
• Dorothy Johnson-Speight of the nonprofit Mothers in Charge.
• Noel Eisenstat of the nonprofit Philabundance.
What kind of help did Councilmember Johnson provide to Universal?
Universal owned the former Royal Theater on South Street, as well as several lots on Bainbridge Street that it purchased for cheap from the Redevelopment Authority, agreeing to build 109 homes on them. But by 2014, the properties had become liabilities. The Bainbridge lots were still undeveloped and the PRA wanted them back. The theater was crumbling and Universal found it could neither develop nor sell it without a zoning change.
Johnson introduced a bill to change the parking requirements and height maximum for the theater, which allowed Universal to sell it at a profit. He also made a call to the PRA about the Bainbridge lots, expressing his preference that Universal be granted more time to develop them. When a district council member makes a call like that, which is not unusual, the PRA generally goes along with it.
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Recent court rulings have established strict rules for proving a quid pro quo in bribery cases. If Johnson’s help for Universal was the quo, what do prosecutors claim was the quid?
Prosecutors allege the bribe was paid through a contract between Chavous and Universal. Chavous signed a three-month consulting contract with Universal in 2013, but it was renewed through October 2014. In the course of the contract, Chavous submitted five invoices and received payments totaling $66,750.
Chavous’ firm provides advocacy, fundraising, event planning and strategic development for a number of clients. She has said she is devastated that prosecutors have challenged her professional ethics and integrity by charging that the contract was related to her husband’s position.
The charges against Johnson and Chavous are part of a larger case against former Universal executives Abdur Rahim Islam and Shaheid Dawan. Will the entire case be heard at this trial?
No. Presiding Judge Gerald McHugh found in January 2021 that a jury would be prejudiced by hearing the entire case against Islam and Dawan and ruled that the trial for Johnson and Chavous should be restricted to the counts they are charged on. The original 22-count indictment accuses Islam and Dawan of engaging in a conspiracy to embezzle $463,000 from Universal through inflated business expenses and unauthorized bonuses.
Also charged in the larger indictment is former Milwaukee School Board President Michael Bonds, accused of taking a $6,000 bribe for advocating and voting for Universal’s expansion in Milwaukee.
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Is Kenny Gamble implicated in the case?
No. Prosecutors have made very clear that Gamble was unaware of what Islam and Dawan were doing.
Why did it take so long for the case to go to trial?
The grand jury issued the indictment on Jan. 24, 2020. The trial was originally scheduled for that June, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shutdown of federal courts in March. Even after trials resumed, they were limited in an effort to allow juries to social distance. The court determined these delays could be excluded from the Speedy Trial Act.
Now that it's finally happening, the trial is expected to take approximately three weeks.
What sentences do Johnson and Chavous face?
If found guilty, each could be imprisoned for up to 40 years and fined up to $500,000.
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Will Councilmember Johnson have to resign his seat?
The councilmember’s office says it will operate as usual during the trial, though Johnson’s attendance at City Council will depend on the trial schedule. If convicted, the councilmember would have to resign upon sentencing.
City Council has had recent experience with the process. Last fall, Councilmember Bobby Henon was convicted of bribery in a case that also involved former Local 98 business manager John Dougherty. He remained in office until January. He’ll be sentenced in April.
Get the latest updates on the Kenyatta Johnson trial here.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story identified Joanna McClinton as the speaker of the Pa. House. She is minority leader.