Bribery trial opens for Philadelphia union boss, city leader

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Opening statements are underway Tuesday in the corruption trial of a powerful Philadelphia labor leader and a city official he allegedly kept on the union payroll. Federal prosecutors say Johnny “Doc” Dougherty had a “corrupt agreement” that kept City Council member Bobby Henon in a $70,000-a-year, no-work job so he could do his bidding at City Hall. The 2019 indictment accuses them of using illegal means to keep a tight grip on construction jobs for the nearly 5,000-member electricians union. A defense lawyer says Dougherty pushed the union’s agenda, not his own. Both he and Henon have pleaded not guilty.