Hassan Bennett, chair of Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission, charged with witness intimidation

Hassan Bennett, the chair of the Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission, was charged Tuesday with selling sensitive information regarding a witness in an attempted murder case. 

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office charged Bennett and Thomas Scott with intimidation of a witness, conspiracy, bribery and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with the case. 

"Our criminal legal system relies on victims and witnesses coming forward to provide information and, in many cases, testify in court. As a result, our office takes their safety very seriously, and any time someone tries to intimidate a witness or engages in conduct that threatens the safety of a witness, we will act with swiftness and determination," District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement. "Defendant Hassan Bennett not only committed serious crimes, but in doing so has violated the public's trust. His actions are not a reflection on the work of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission or the Defender Association of Philadelphia."  

According to the DA's office, Scott was recorded on prison calls and social media attempting to intimidate a witness for an attempted murder case. The Philadelphia Gun Violence Task Force became aware of the calls in August 2026. 

Scott was allegedly recorded on prison calls saying "various concerning things" about the witness, according to the DA's office. Scott said he was searching for the location of the witness, needed them to recant their statement and that he would "blow down the witness in broad daylight, and that the whole purpose of his social media posts was to prevent the witness from coming to court."

During one of those calls, investigators heard Scott speaking to Bennett, the DA's office said. Bennett allegedly read the arrest report of the attempted murder case to Scott. Bennett also provided Scott with the full name of the witness. 

Scott allegedly told Bennett that he needed a copy of the paperwork and offered to pay him $500. According to the DA's office, investigators found that Scott obtained the paperwork of the case and sent them to "various individuals in order to intimidate the witness in the open case."

Bennett, who was also an employee of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, was previously convicted of second-degree murder in 2008, but he was acquitted. During a retrial in 2019, one of the victims and a co-defendant testified that their previous testimony implicating Bennett was coerced by a then-homicide detective. 

Scott is being held on $3 million bail. Bennett is being held on $1 million bail.