Key witness takes stand in Rep. Chaka Fattah trial

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A key witness took the stand Wednesday in the corruption trial of Rep. Chaka Fattah.

Thomas Lindenfeld's testimony is key to the government's case. He has already pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the wide ranging case against Fattah.

He is a former Fattah political consultant who is now cooperating with federal prosecutors.

Lindenfeld is the alleged middleman in funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Fattah through an educational services foundation the congressman created.

But the government says Fattah laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars through here to pay down an illegal million dollar loan he received from a political benefactor who has already testified here for the government. He has a grant of immunity.

The money was used by Fattah, prosecutors say, to prop up his floundering campaign for mayor of Philadelphia back in 2007.

On cross examination Fattah's lawyer, Mark Lee, will fight back claiming Lindenfeld did this without the knowledge of the 11-term congressman, and is now hoping to get lenient treatment from the judge.

Lindenfeld will return to the stand on Thursday.