‘I take full responsibility’ for gift disclosure scandal:Philly DA

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has issued an apology for failing to reveal five years and $160,000 worth of previously undisclosed gifts during his time in office.

Sent to his supporters via email through his re-election political action committee, Williams had the following to say:

I would like to say thank you for your support. Many of you are long time, close friends and family and I sincerely appreciate you always standing by me.

When I first ran for District Attorney it was because of a passion for what inspired me; to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Philadelphians. Without question, I’ve made significant progress in many of those areas. I am humbled by what we’ve been able to do and I continue to look forward to helping make Philadelphia a better place to live and raise our families.

One of my requirements as an elected official is to fully disclose all gifts and or in kind services I receive, even those from my closest friends and family.

I take full responsibility on failing to disclose what was required. We’ve taken the proper steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again and will be fully compliant moving forward.

Yours in service,

Seth

The email, first reported by PhillyVoice, was sent early Monday by the Seth Williams Victory Committee. It also included a disclaimer that noted the maximum allowable contributions for individuals and PACs to Williams’ campaign for re-election in 2017, Philly.com reported.

Williams’ apology comes about a week after he divulged a previously unreported $160,050 in gifts, which often erred on the side of excess, like a $3,000 trip to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, almost $3,000 in Phillies and 76ers tickets, and free roof repairs totaling about $45,000.