Wright Stuff

The collected e-mails of Christopher Wright and his co-defendants.

by Isaiah Thompson

Evan M. Lopez

our esteemed council

As of press time, the jury is still out on the trial of Christopher Wright, former chief of staff to Councilman Jack Kelly, and his three co-defendants: brothers Ravinder and Hardeep Chawla, two real estate entrepreneurs, and Andrew Teitelman, legal counsel to their various businesses.

Wright is accused of selling his office to the Chawlas and Teitelman by assisting them with everything from tax penalties to legislation favorable to their massive River City project in Center City. Wright received money and perks, including a $1,000 check given as a "Christmas present," and a Rittenhouse Square apartment in which he stayed, rent-free, for at least 10 months.

Few facts of the case are in dispute. Instead, the question for jurors has been whether the defendants were abusing their positions — or simply exchanging favors as friends.

In other words, whether Wright, the Chawlas and Teitelman are guilty depends not just on what they did, but on who they are and what they were thinking.

During the trial, the prosecution introduced into evidence hundreds of e-mails between the defendants. In court, the e-mails were read in fits and starts, as individual items. But taken together, they paint an intimate portrait of Wright's relationship with Teitelman and the Chawlas — a relationship that, whether legal or not, was undeniably close and extremely complicated.

"Your public servant, Chris." — Wright to Ravinder Chawla, March 14, 2007

By the end of June 2006, Christopher Wright — in the middle of a bitter divorce with his wife, Marcianne, drinking again after a failed attempt at rehab, and in serious financial difficulty — had moved into the free apartment on Delancey Street, facilitated by Teitelman.

In his capacity as chief of staff to Councilman Kelly, Wright was busy helping the Chawlas with legislation they had asked Kelly to introduce, that would make legal mechanical parking garages they wanted for the River City project.

He was also working on a career in real estate. The e-mails show Wright, a licensed realtor, attempting over and over to involve himself in the Chawlas' deals, presumably seeking a commission.

"There is a property at the [northeast corner] of 23rd and Sansom streets that is available," Wright wrote to Ravinder Chawla in July 2006, "the owner is interested in selling — let me know if you're interested."

In October, he wrote about a property Chawla was looking to sell. "I've been out meeting with potential buyers," he said. In March, he wrote, "Thanks for letting me work with you," during an apparent attempted sale, signing the e-mail, "Your public servant, Chris."

Wright's deals never panned out, as his own attorneys have argued in an attempt to show that he didn't make money off the relationship. Still, he continued to look to the Chawlas, and particularly Teitelman, for help. In August 2006, a frustrated Wright wrote to Teitelman:

"[Potential buyers] are in need of an agreement. ... Can you help me with this?" The subject of that e-mail: "Help me — so I can help you."

"Do you know [anyone who] would make a short term loan to me for $7,000. ... Can you hook me up with someone?" —Wright to Teitelman, Aug. 23, 2006

While Wright was asking for Teitelman's help in brokering the sale of Chawla-owned properties, he was also asking for the attorney's help on more personal matters.

"Do you know [anyone who] would make a short term loan to me for $7,000?" Wright wrote Teitelman in August. "Can you hook me up with someone?"

Wright was behind on the mortgage for the house he'd shared with his estranged wife, and needed the money, he wrote, to prevent foreclosure. He wrote again, "Andy, can we meet this week — need help on preventing my home from foreclosure."

Three days later, Wright asked Teitelman explicitly: "Should I call Rafi?"

Teitelman's answers, if he did answer, don't appear in government documents. The next day, Wright wrote to Teitelman again:

"Andy, hate being a pest, but need to get together with Rafi — make sure he wants to make this loan ... Please advise. Chris."

A few days after that, Chawla e-mailed Wright — to ask a favor. "Chris, we need your help for this," he wrote, asking Wright to look into building certification issues for him. "Call me or Andy."

Wright looked into it, and continued to ask Teitelman about a loan from Chawla, writing a week later, "Andy, Please let me know about Rafi's loan. Call me please."

Teitelman wrote back: "He keeps telling me it will be soon. Please call to thank him for trying to help you out."

"Chris: Can you get me a City Cert for the below referenced properties. We need it before September 29th. Thanks. On another note, your loan docs are ready." —Teitelman to Wright, Sept. 13, 2006

By late 2006, Wright's relationship with Teitelman had grown more complex than ever.

Wright was facing not only foreclosure on his house but also eviction from the Delancey Street apartment (which the Chawlas had flipped to another owner) as well as various difficulties with the settlement of his divorce.

For all these things, Wright turned to Teitelman. And Teitelman helped, for free. The attorney filed paperwork seeking to stop Wright's eviction, and wrote on Wright's behalf to the new owners of the Delancey Street apartment, attempting to cut a deal. He also helped Wright with paperwork for the loan he so badly needed.

HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

The Chawlas' counsel even helped Wright with his divorce, taking over the paperwork and writing letters on Wright's behalf to Angie Roca, his wife's attorney.

"Do not write to Angie Roca," Teitelman e-mailed Wright at one point in November 2006. "I have this covered."

Such was Wright's dependence on Teitelman that at one point he wrote the lawyer, asking, "If this hearing takes place what should I bring with me? Can you go with me?"

Desperate as he was, though, Wright was still able to perform valuable "constituent services" for the Chawlas and Teitelman, as they made clear in e-mails. The parking garage legislation passed, 15-0, and Wright tried to help the Chawlas get an exemption to a height restriction that would have lowered the value of the River City project.

And so, in early 2007, when Wright's boss, Councilman Kelly, was embroiled in a difficult re-election campaign, the Chawlas stepped forward to help. Wright expressed his gratitude in an e-mail to Teitelman.

"Talked to Jack this morning — he is very happy about you agreeing to do a fundraiser," he wrote. "Really need to put on a good show to let our opponents know we can raise big $$$$ on quick notice."

He added, "Also, did you speak to Roca?"

(isaiah.thompson@citypaper.net)