Democrat, Philadelphia's Top Prosecutor Charged With Federal Corruption Charges

Seth Williams charged with taking more than $160,000 in luxury gifts, cash

Philadelphia's top prosecutor, Democratic District Attorney Seth Williams, was charged Tuesday with taking more than $160,000 in luxury gifts, Caribbean trips, and cash, often in exchange for official favors.

Williams, a career prosecutor, was under investigation for nearly two years, according to an unsealed bribery and extortionindictment.

Williams earns $175,000 a year as district attorney but claims he ran into financial trouble after a divorce and by trying to foot the bill for his daughters' tuition for private school, CBS News reportedTuesday.

Investigators began looking into Williams' personal and political finances in August 2015, finding a series of ethics violations, including failure to disclose $160,500 in gifts and income. That amount included home repairs worth $45,000.

Gifts that Williams received in exchange for favors included stays with his then-girlfriend in a presidential suite of a Punta Cana resort, a $3,400 sofa, and a used Jaguar convertible, with insurance coverage.

In return, Williams once offered to help a friend receive a reduced jail sentence. In another instance, Williams took $7,000 for helping a business owner friend meet with an airport police official in an attempt to avoid enhanced screening when returning to the U.S. from foreign trips, according to CBS News.

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