PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The federal corruption trial of Philadelphia City Councilmember Bobby Henon and electricians union leader John Dougherty focused upon Comcast's 2015 franchise agreement with the city as it entered its fourth week Monday.
Comcast’s 2015 franchise agreement with the City of Philadelphia remained the focus Monday in the federal corruption trial of councilman Bobby Henon and labor leader John Dougherty.
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The government alleged the Comcast agreement was one example of Henon taking action on Dougherty’s behalf, because he was receiving a salary from the electricians' union.
On cross-examination, defense attorneys noted that the government’s own evidence showed there was pressure on Henon for many things in the agreement.
An email from Henon to Comcast says council members want cheaper cable access for seniors and low-income households. He called it a deal-breaker.
In the midst of all the demands, Henon told Dougherty that Comcast was threatening to move its corporate headquarters out of Philadelphia.
Neither seemed to take it seriously. Dougherty called it “a game.”
Additionally, the defense pointed out that Dougherty was talking to a lot of people about the matter.
He mentioned then-mayor Michael Nutter called him to urge a quick resolution of his differences with Comcast.
Conversations revealed he was also talking to other council members.
“He wasn’t trying to hide his involvement, was he?” defense attorney Brian McMonagle asked the FBI agent presenting the tapes.
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“They knew he was a key person to help get this done.”
“They knew,” the agent answered, “that he’d inserted himself.”
In the end, the Comcast agreement included cheaper cable access for low-income subscribers.
Union labor agreements were supposed to be in a side letter which was never executed.
Likely to be in the spotlight later this week: more about the charge that Henon accepted free windows from a glaziers union official for his chief of staff, Courtney Voss, described by prosecutors as his "mistress." They say Henon later helped the glaziers leader with a vote in council.