Ex-Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer guilty on all counts (Rat)

[Frank Cannon]

http://www.mcall.com/news/police/mc-nws-reading-mayor-vaughn-spencer-verdict-20180830-story.html

A jury convicted former Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer on Thursday of 11 criminal charges related to a pay-to-play scheme in which federal prosecutors said he traded public works contracts for campaign contributions and bribed the City Council president to repeal a law limiting how much campaign money he could accept.

“By and large the consensus was that the weight of the evidence was in the mayor’s own words. He condemned himself,” jury foreman Pete Castor of Lancaster said.

Spencer showed little emotion as Castor read the verdicts in a soft, sometimes barely audible voice. His attorney, Geoffrey Johnson, offered consolation, putting his arm around Spencer as the foreman’s words sank in.

“We’re assessing our options and we will keep up the good fight,” said Johnson, who called the verdict disappointing and surprising. “I think we have substantial legal challenges on a number of the counts.”

Spencer declined to speak to a Morning Call reporter. U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez allowed him to remain free on bail until sentencing, which Sanchez said likely would be early next year.