OIG investigation leads to guilty plea in 30th Street Station bribery case

February 14, 2025 

PHILADELPHIA — A former senior executive vice president at a contracting company that oversaw work on Amtrak’s 30th Street Station façade project pleaded guilty February 12 to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

Donald Seefeldt, 65, of Wilmette, Illinois, pleaded guilty to the charge after he conspired with others, to include other executives working for the contractor, to bribe a former Amtrak project manager with approximately $323,686 worth of paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, transportation, and other items of value. In exchange, the former project manager approved over $52 million in additional change orders and contract modifications and provided the contractor with internal information about the project. 

Federal funding supplied 90 percent of the money Amtrak used to pay the contractor for the façade project, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the release. 

“Every dollar of federal funding lost to fraud is a dollar less to put toward legitimate programs and projects,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “My office and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who try to pad their pockets at taxpayers’ and the U.S. government’s expense.” 

Two other executives with the contractor, Lee Maniatis and Khaled Dallo, were also charged last year as part of the case with conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. The Federal Railroad Administration has since suspended both men from participating in all federally funded procurement and non-procurement programs and activities. 

In addition to Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General, the case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Transportation OIG. United States Attorney Jason Grenell is prosecuting the case. 

Reports of fraud, waste, or abuse; criminal or unethical acts affecting Amtrak’s property or operations; or mismanagement in Amtrak programs or operations can be made 24 hours a day via the Amtrak OIG Hotline at 1-800-468-5469 or online at https://direc.to/hPAu. 

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