Ex-labor boss John Dougherty convicted of embezzling union funds
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A federal jury convicted former labor boss John Dougherty of embezzling union funds Thursday.
Why it matters: This marks Dougherty's second federal conviction and adds to the stunning fall from grace of a man once considered one of the state's most powerful labor leaders.
Driving the news: Dougherty, former business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), was convicted of more than 70 counts, including conspiracy and fraud, per FOX29.
Meanwhile, former union president Brian Burrows was also convicted of conspiracy and other charges in the same trial.
- They were each acquitted of three counts.
Catch up fast: Dougherty, Burrows and five others were indicted in 2019 and charged with dozens of counts over claims they embezzled more than $600,000 from union coffers between 2010 and 2016.
- Dougherty and Burrows went to trial while the five other defendants struck plea deals.
- Dougherty and former Councilmember Bobby Henon were then found guilty of conspiracy charges during a separate bribery trial in 2021.
Of note: Dougherty rejected his own plea deal for this case and another set of charges where he would have faced jail time, per the Inquirer.
Details: Federal prosecutors called 33 witnesses who testified over 15 days.
- The government's case drew upon hours of wiretapped calls, plus a trove of financial documents that they say showed Dougherty spent union money on personal expenses, including home renovations and groceries.
- They also said Dougherty put friends and family on the union's payroll and tasked them with running his personal errands.
The other side: Dougherty and Burrows didn't testify or mount a defense after the prosecution rested its case.
What they're saying: Dougherty told reporters afterward that he felt like his chances for acquittal were over once the jury believed one of the prosecutor's star witnesses, per CBS.
- "We respect what happened, and we'll move forward. We always do," he said.
What's next: Both Dougherty and Burrows face decades in prison.
- Dougherty, who still has a third trial to come over extortion charges, is scheduled for sentencing on the latest and his earlier conviction on March 20.
- U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl set sentencing for Burrows for March 21.