Pittsburgh Corruption Review

Two high-ranking members of the Allegheny County sheriff's office have been suspended with pay after being indicted yesterday on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about their fund-raising efforts on behalf of Sheriff Pete DeFazio. The indictments are the first to come from the investigation.

Fire union President Joseph King the head of Pittsburgh's firefighters union appeared before a federal grand jury. Federal prosecutors have been probing the contract Mayor Tom Murphy awarded to firefighters on the eve of the May 2001 mayoral primary. For months they have subpoenaed union leaders and past and current Murphy administration officials to testify before the grand jury. King's grand jury appearance marked the first time the fire union president has been summoned.

Also, new details emerged regarding a separate federal investigation involving Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril H. Wecht. Another grand jury was supposed to hear testimony in a federal investigation of Wecht, according to the coroner's lawyer.

On the day last month that FBI agents raided the coroner's office for information, subpoenas were handed out for documents to be presented to a grand jury. Employees of the coroner's office and Wecht's private pathology firm were subpoenaed to appear yesterday before the grand jury in connection with the FBI's probe of whether Wecht improperly mixed his private business and public duties.

Gee, I wonder why the city is falling apart??????

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