November 25-December 1, 2004

city beat

Character Assassination

The late Ron White will play a big role in the upcoming pay-for-play trial.

by Brian Hickey

Even though he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer earlier this month, Ronald A. White remains a key figure in the City Hall corruption probe that's scheduled to hit a federal courtroom on Jan. 12.

Last Thursday, U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan asked a federal judge to dismiss the June indictment that charged White with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, extortion and making false statements to the FBI. (White was facing 555 years in jail and an $8.25 million fine.) Though those charges were dismissed, Chris Warren, the Center City lawyer who represented the 55-year-old powerbroker prior, says White's not entirely in the clear.

"There will be tremendous incentive for the other defendants to place all their criminal woes at the feet of Ron White," Warren said last week. "If there was anything unsavory, they'll say it was done by Ron. [His death] dramatically changes the complexion of the case."

When contacted for comment last week, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Rich Maneri noted that Meehan was legally required to seek the dismissal of White's indictment. A day later, the government filed another document announcing that co-defendant Frances McCracken agreed to plead guilty to all charges. It also addressed the White issue.

"White's passing will have scant effect on the government's presentation; the government remains compelled to prove the full conspiracy with which he was charged," wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Zauzmer.

Though the case was scheduled for a January start, Zauzmer indicated that defense's requests for a delay are "not without basis."

Since summer, Warren and lead attorney Ed Jacobs had been sifting through boxes of documents and DVDs loaded with some 25,000 audiotaped conversations that federal investigators claimed made White a central figure in the city's pay-for-play culture [Cover Story, "Twists of Fate," Aug. 12, 2004]. Since late summer, Warren had heard the swirling speculation that White was battling a terminal disease. He was still surprised by how rapidly White declined. Three weeks before White's death, Warren received a call to stop working on the case. White, he added, maintained his innocence.

"We were really looking forward to putting Philadelphia politics on trial," said Warren, arguing that White was being scapegoated for a common practice in city government.