The election of Rufus Seth Williams to District Attorney of Philadelphia in 2009 was a cause for celebration. Succeeding Lynne Abraham, he won with more than 75 percent of the vote to become the first African-American District Attorney of Philadelphia. His campaign phrase was, “A new day, a new DA.”
On Friday, Williams announced he will not run for a third term as District Attorney.
His announcement comes after reports surfaced of an FBI and IRS investigation into his personal and business finances. In January, he paid a record $62,000 to the Philadelphia Board of Ethics for his failure to report income and gifts.
[pullquote]“His turn of fortune is almost Biblical… he was somebody we should have been able to be proud of for a long time.”
Jay McCalla, former city deputy managing director[/pullquote]
Williams apologized for “regrettable mistakes in my personal life and personal financial life that cast an unnecessary shadow over my office” during a press conference on Friday. He did not take questions, but he indicated plans to stay in office until the next election.
“I think he saw the handwriting on the wall,” said Linn Washington, professor of Journalism at Temple University. “A re-election would be the proverbial uphill struggle, if not mission impossible.”
An American story
Williams’ rise to District Attorney is a local American success story. Born in 1967, he was put up for adoption. Young Seth was placed into two foster homes before being adopted by Rufus Williams, a Sulzberger Middle School teacher, and Imelda Williams, a Philadelphia Naval Shipyard secretary.
Williams grew up in West Philadelphia and attended Central High School before attending Penn State.
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