Members of both parties petition for end to Wecht case

[maddezmom]

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Members of both parties petition for end to Wecht case
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
By Jonathan D. Silver, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Thirty-three prominent local residents from both ends of the political spectrum have signed an open letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and local U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan asking them to drop the federal case against Dr. Cyril H. Wecht.

Signing the letter were such prominent Republicans as Elsie Hillman, former congresswoman Melissa Hart and Jim Roddey, chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Party and the county's first chief executive. They joined a who's who of Democratic power brokers such as former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, ex-City Councilman Sala Udin, and county council members.

Dr. Wecht faces a retrial May 27 of 41 charges covering wire fraud, mail fraud and theft from an organization receiving federal funds. The first trial, which involved seven weeks of testimony and more than three weeks of jury deliberations, deadlocked last week. The judge declared a mistrial.

Dr. Wecht's defense team, which includes former U.S. attorney general and Pennsylvania governor Dick Thornburgh, released the letter today.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08107/873828-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml

[ladywnch]

1. anybody really think Mukasey is going to listen to anyone but chucklenuts or

Darth Vadar?

[yardwork]

2. I think that the U.S Attorney needs to be scrutinized for this.

This is one of the U.S. Attorneys who did not get fired. Wonder why? Because she was willing to prosecute Democrats on trumped up charges, at the behest of the White House and Justice Dept?