Vincent J. Fumo, a former Pennsylvania senator found guilty by a jury of all 137 counts against him, could have been sentenced to 21 to 27 years. Yesterday, the federal judge in the case, Ronald L. Buckwalter, gave him four years and seven months.
Fumo defrauded the Pennsylvania State Senate of more than $1 million. He defrauded the charity he founded, Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, of more than $1 million. He defrauded the Independent Seaport Museum of more than $100,000. He used Senate employees to clean his house and manage home improvements in his 33-room mansion. Then, when the authorities started sniffing around, he obstructed justice by destroying records and e-mail.
I am outraged.
So are many people in Philadelphia. Writers and columnists at the Philadelphia Inquirer are all over the story—they think the guy skated. So do the readers. The Inquirer’s website has a poll question, “Do you think the sentence was too lenient?” Nearly 90 percent of the respondents said yes.
Apparently, Vince put on quite a show at the sentencing hearing yesterday. He walked in pushing one of his supporters in a wheelchair. He cried. He pleaded that he never meant to take anything from anyone.
Yeah, right.
So 300 people sent letters to the judge, most of them supporting Vince. And the judge considered all of the former power broker’s “good works.” The judge also apparently felt that when it came to Vince Fumo, the media were on a witchhunt.
Personally, I applaud all the coverage that the Philadelphia Inquirer and other news organizations gave this case. The only way it could have been improved would be to explain to the public why Vince Fumo did what he did—because he was a sociopath.
Sigh. This is going to be a long education process.
For coverage of the sentencing, read:
Fumo sentenced to 55 months in prison
Fumo sentencing is a scene of high drama
This is what “empathy really looks like in America
Donna,
Deffinently an outrage! The fact that Fumo was found guilty in all 137 counts, he only gets 55 months!! My husband and I are waiting to see what the lowlife con man that our niece married will recieve. Even if it has been delayed, ‘reprioritized’ for 9 months now, his defrauding of many people and his ‘stealing’ of their money, lies, deciet and perjury still happened!
Again the white collar criminal can pay for the best defense, even if the defense is only to make the criminal look empathetic! If it walks like a duck, it is a duck! In our situation, ‘The crime still happened ~ the innocent victims still lost out!’ And will probably never get restitution, because it is all about ‘winning the game’ with a sociopath! They don’t even fear jail, thye just enjoy the high drama!!
At least Madoffs sentencing was more on target! Although, who knows what will happen in the long run!
Thanks for the update!
Donna,
Which once again PROVES that if you have powerful friends and lots of money (even if that money was stolen, and that’s why you are on trial) that you get preferential treatment by the laws…and the judges….SHAME!!! SHAME!!!! SHAME!!!
When ever a judge rules in ways that are contrary to the laws, and established cases, I would definitely look at their campaign contributions. My ex and his attorney laughed at the money I had spent in the courts attempting to stop the abuse of my son and me, and I discovered that my ex’s attorney had given the judge 1% of his TOTAL campaign contributions that were in violations of the 7th Judicial Cannon. When I brought this up to the opposing attorney and said it was a bribe, he told me that he and the judge are good friends. Neither the attorney or the judge brought up the campaign contributions or their relationship before the hearing in which custody was changed and quality time my son and I had spent together was greatly decreased. If you feel something is not right, then chances are it isn’t right.
Alice,
The sad thing is that this case was in federal court, and the judge was a federal judge – no campaigning required.
It was, however, the Good Old Boy network in action, as is illustrated in this article:
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20090717_The_Fumo_travesty__Old_boy_network_alive___well.html
The outrage continues in Philadelphia. The judge’s chambers have been inundated with phone calls and emails. Apparently the prosecutor is going to appeal the sentence.
I hope so. Maybe they’ll get it right the second time.
Donna,
This “no campaigning required”—that is, in MHO, all the “campaigning” and “favors” are done BEFORE APPOINTMENT….then, when a “political crook” goes before a judge, that judge is also member, like you said, of the “good old boys” network.
It seems to me the only time a a crooked politico is exposed and outed is when their behavior becomes so publicly known and so outrageous that it is so over the top that the “club” has got to quiet the guy down and the guy won’t listen, then he gets a slap on the wrist! This sentence sort of proves my point doesn’t it? Where is the PUKE emoticon when you need it.
The judge in my case was a small Midwestern county judge but before the alimony was set my Evil Monster Ex took him to lunch!!! My alimony: Just 3 years after being married for 46.5 years. Judge’s rationale: He didn’t want to prevent EM EX from retiring as he wanted. BULL! The EM is still not retired as he told me over and over and over that he never intended to do!!
I was told I could bring a law suit. BUT, the two witnesses refused to testify that they had seen them at lunch. They, after all, had to live in the same town. Yes, where is the PUKE emoticon??
ANewLily,
I read somewhere in this blog that to overcome a sociopath we have to become a sociopath ourselves. I have to agree with some aspects of those comments. And I would add even more: we have to become a worse sociopath to survive our sociopath. I had to do this for my survival. Once the abuses were so intense (more emotional then physical) and after trying vigorously to negotiate hospitals, doctors, AVOs, marriage councellors. men’s anger management, supporting groups, family courts, therapysts etc, etc, I knew by then that I was alone and had to fight the monster alone…and to protect my children as best as I could. At that time I had no knowledge of what I was dealing with(sociopath), but I had the knowledge that it was severe and I had to be smart to be able to scape from my situation. So I carefully worked my way through. After many years I understood how his mind worked so I played the game for my advantage. I think this will be the only way we can survive and diminish our losses (financially and emotionally). Unfortunately we do not have a legal system to protect us against those monsters, councellors still a long way to go to confront those monsters, law enforcement… the sociopath put them in their pockets. As I said before they manipulate their way through and are capable of making us feeling even more devastated than the time we decided to take the case to those levels.
The best thing he could give me to survive was the knowledge of how his mind worked. I had to pretend to be a sociopath myself. With my manipulation (me now as the sociopath ) I became free in a big way. He left the country believing that he was tricking me and lying to me. He left 75% of all our assets to me by signing a separation of assets, he had no obligation to see the kids(by then the kids had no desire to be near him), and he left an Unrestricted Power of Attorney giving full power over his life(the only thing I am not allowed to do is to disconnect his life support machine – if that one day eventuates – what a pitty)…and best of everything I was finally free from the monster who has tormented my life for many years destroying everything I worked so hard for and,l my self dignity and self worth. But I knew by then that I would get peace and tranquility to build my life again…
He did not relised that all this was happenning until the day he tried to come back to me (one year later).
I played the game better than him…I was forced to do this for my survival and for the survival of our children. One thing I learnt is that sociopaths are conning, liars and everything else but we can be smarter than them.
And those are the skills we have to learn and share to survive and than we can work on the healing part of our souls.
and guess what…he can not even complain that O got everything…..
So my point is : we really have to be smart and share our plains and ply the game in a big way. Once we are free from them we can start healling our souls…
The main thing is Survival with minimum losses.
Brithancy, and you did all this without knowing about narcissiopaths!?? I’m very impressed — and very happy for you!
Was it that your children’s wellfare were the major motivation?
My adult children were ages 35-46 with families of their own so I confess I didn’t even think of their wellfare. BUT, I didn’t know until about a year after I signed divorce papers he was using them as his proxies. At that point, I learned that he was using them when he orchestrated our oldest daughter to be MY power of attorney — because I was “crazy.” Luckily, I was able to get 14 notarized statements from people who knew me and the judge threw his attempt out of court and called it “frivolous.”
In hindsight, I realize that the added grief of the betrayal of our children (who lived near him) as well as the totally unexpected maliciousness of the settlement proceedings blinded me to doing anything other than what I was doing — trying to be fair. Yes, I was a fool but I don’t blame myself because I truly did the best I could with the information I had.
Now it is just too late — except to protect the assets I still have — in this current economic state so they will last a few years longer. Then I WILL be “on the county” as Empty Suit had set out to do. He’s a doctor that I put through medical school.
It was only recently that the FACT penetrated my mind that he not only chose me as his “arm candy” to flaunt but as the financial means to obtain his goal of medical school. I literally threw up at my blindness.
PS Brithancy, I signed the divorce papers 7 years ago already.
ANewLily,
I am glad to have read (previous post) that you have heard from your daughters. That must have been very difficult for you to have lost your adult children when you left.
I would have to think that he must be very good with keeping his “mask” in place, for your adult children to not understand why you left. I can’t even imagine this…..
I am very sorry that you have had to endure all of this. The fact that you put him through medical school, and he is a doctor (and has all the assets) just makes me sick.
I hope that you have peace of mind, and that is worth so much more than what money can buy….It sounds to me that you do have peace and I hope that your relationship with your children grows. Maybe someday they will see him for what he really is.