Melissa Anne ☘️

MORE PHILLY CORRUPTION: POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION CHAIR ACCUSED OF SELLING CONFIDENTIAL WITNESS INFORMATION FOR $500 PHILADELPHIA — The chairman of Philadelphia’s Citizens Police Oversight Commission, an agency tasked with promoting police accountability and transparency, has been arrested on bribery and witness intimidation charges. Hassan Bennett, 43, allegedly sold confidential information about a witness in an attempted murder case to Thomas Scott, 45, a defendant accused of trying to silence that witness. According to prosecutors, Bennett obtained unredacted police reports containing the witness’s identity and provided the information to Scott in exchange for $500. Investigators say a recorded prison phone call captured Bennett reading information from the report to Scott. Prosecutors also allege Scott made threats against the witness on social media, including threatening to kill them. Bennett worked as a bail navigator for the Defender Association of Philadelphia while serving as chairman of the city’s police oversight commission. The DA’s Gun Violence Task Force investigated the alleged scheme. Bennett faces charges including bribery, witness intimidation and conspiracy. His bail was set at $1 million. The Defender Association says it is cooperating with investigators and moving to terminate his employment. Bennett has chaired the oversight commission since 2024. He previously spent nearly 13 years imprisoned for a 2006 murder before his conviction was overturned and he was acquitted in 2019. He later reached a $4 million wrongful-conviction settlement with Philadelphia. The investigation remains ongoing. Both Bennett and Scott are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.