Trusted ally reportedly aiding Fumo probe

A top Philadelphia political strategist who for decades has been a confidant of State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo is under criminal investigation and has begun cooperating with federal authorities in the case against Fumo, sources said. Howard J. Cain, 59, began cooperating after he came under scrutiny for possible tax violations.

If he testifies, his defection would be the first from Fumo's historically tight inner circle. Fumo, 64, a powerful Democrat in South Philadelphia and Harrisburg, is scheduled to stand trial in September on a sweeping federal corruption indictment. He has pleaded not guilty and insists he has done nothing wrong. The pressure on Cain was a sign that prosecutors, the FBI and the IRS have continued to seek to strengthen their case against Fumo during the long wait for the start of his trial. Fumo sought and won a year's delay in the trial after he dropped his longtime ...