Another selective prosecution case: Cyril Wecht.

Rawstory:

Former US Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, a Republican who headed the Department of Justice under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, yesterday accused a US attorney in Pennsylvania of pursuing a politically motivated indictment of a prominent regional Democrat.

Now a a private sector attorney, Thornburgh represents a former county medical examiner, Cyril Wecht, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2006. In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, which is conducting an ongoing probe into possible GOP steerage of Justice Department prosecutions, Thornburgh said his client's indictment was pure politics.

"He has always been a contentious, outspoken, highly critical and highly visible Democratic figure in western Pennsylvania," Thornburgh said of Wecht. "In other words, he would qualify as an ideal target for a Republican U.S. attorney trying to curry favor with a department which demonstrated that if you play by its rules, you will advance."

Wecht was indicted for purportedly instructing county employees to aid his private consulting business, and for giving unclaimed human cadavers to a a local university in exchange for free laboratory space.

Calling those charges "totally false and unfounded," Thornburgh said that "Dr. Wecht -- the Democrat, scientist and educator -- was forthwith labeled a body snatcher and a media feeding frenzy ensued. The U.S. attorney thus succeeded in the department's apparent mission of casting Democrats in a negative light during the election year."

But the US attorney in question, Mary Beth Buchanan, denied the accusations.

"The prosecution of Dr. Wecht is based solely on the facts and the law," she said in a statement, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. "The government intends to try this case in a court of law, where it belongs and is still pending."

Thornburgh also charged that Buchanan avoided prosecuting Republicans within her jurisdiction.

"The fact that no investigation was undertaken stands out when Democrats in the western district of Pennsylvania have been investigated in such a highly visible manner," Thornburgh said.
Republicans on the House Judiciary Panel, however, took issue with Thornburgh's accusations.

"Your testimony . . . is the most pathetic example of innuendo and hearsay that I have seen," said Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL), during the hearing.

"The citizens of the United States must have confidence that the department is conducting itself...without actual political influence or the appearance of political influence," Thornburgh said. "Unfortunately, that may no longer be the case."

The House committee also heard testimony yesterday relating to another alleged instance of politicization within the Justice Department -- the case of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, a Democrat who is currently in federal prison serving time on corruption charges. A GOP lawyer had previously testified to her belief that former White House advisor Karl Rove had encouraged the prosecution of Siegelman.