Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski to resign Friday following conviction

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski has announced he will resign from office after he was convicted on dozens of corruption charges. His resignation will take effect at 5 p.m. Friday

Jurors at the federal corruption trial of Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski convicted him of 47 of the 54 charges he faced, a verdict that will force the Democrat from office and end his 12-year tenure as leader of Pennsylvania's third-largest city.

Pawlowski, who began a fourth term in January, cried in the courtroom after the verdict was read, and his wife collapsed in a hallway.

A co-defendant, lawyer Scott Allinson, was convicted of bribing Pawlowski for legal work for his firm.

Prosecutors said Pawlowski masterminded a scheme to rig city contracts for legal, engineering, technology and construction work, all in a bid to raise money for his statewide political campaigns. Pawlowski ran for governor in 2014 and U.S. Senate in 2015, suspending the latter campaign days after the FBI raided City Hall.

Convicted of charges that include conspiracy, bribery, fraud, attempted extortion and lying to the FBI, Pawlowski will remain free on bail pending sentencing. A sentencing date was not set. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.