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May 25, 2006 8:40 pm US/Eastern
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Federal Prosecutors Address Wecht Charges
by Andy Sheehan
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
It's supposed to be a federal court trial but it's looking more like a backyard brawl.
The case of former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht is headed to trial but along the way he and his attorneys have been waging war with District Attorney Stephen Zappala.
In court papers, Wecht accuses Zappala of initiating the investigation against him to settle a political score among other things.
KDKA Investigator Andy Sheehan reports that today federal prosecutors answered those charges.
Wecht's attorneys want the evidence in this case thrown out.
They say it is merely the fruit of a political witch hunt.
But today, the U.S. Attorney called the defense claims nothing more than a conspiracy theory.
Ever since his indictment on charges of using his office to defraud the public, Wecht has been on the offensive.
He charged Zappala with initiating the investigation to settle a political score -- and using his former law firm to do it.
Court documents show Zappala paid close to a $250,000 to his former firm -- Brucker, Schneider and Porter to work on investigations including the one into Wecht.
"He's spending public money doing investigations of his political adversaries. That's what he's doing with public money. Now, that stinks," said Wecht attorney Jerry McDevitt.
But today a source at the U.S. Attorney's Office dismissed the claims as a "tangle of conspiracy theories" that have no relevance to the case.
The source goes on to say: "The financial relationship, whatever it is or isn't, between the District Attorney and his prior firm is not the subject of any allegation in the indictment returned against Cyril H. Wecht."
"As a general rule. I don't dignify the insinuations of criminal defendants," said Zappala.
Zappala has declined comment on the allegations and had no comment today.
But the U.S. Attorney went on to say that Zappala violated no ethics rules or procedures by employing Brucker, Schneider or by receiving money from the firm.
Zappala's financial disclosure forms show he's received money from the firm in recent year which are listed payments for the firm buying out Zappala's partnership interest.
The U.S. Attorney found no fault with this -- saying the ethics act "appears to permit" such payments.
Ultimately, U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Schwab will decide who's right here and he'll decide whether or not evidence against Wecht should be tossed out.
This will all be aired a special hearing in two weeks.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)