Opponents of former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan’s brand-new congressional bid said her failed federal corruption case against Cyril H. Wecht would become a thorny issue in the race. In her very first day as an official candidate for the District 4 seat, she made sure it did.

Ms. Buchanan called into KDKA-AM on Thursday morning to complain about claims on the Marty Griffin show about the cost of the federal case, and while doing so told Mr. Griffin he was “running afoul” of defamation law and to “shut up.”

The Fox Chapel Republican has been behind the scenes for months getting ready for the GOP nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless. After her bid became official Wednesday, she released a statement that said she was concerned about “out of control spending” in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Wecht, the former Allegheny County coroner and local Democratic Party chair, seized on that in a call to Mr. Griffin’s morning show, claiming that the two-year federal case against him — which Ms. Buchanan dropped in 2008 — cost taxpayers $20 million. She called the show after Dr. Wecht left the air, saying that figure was “wildly exaggerated” and Mr. Griffin was trying to “distort my record.”

“You repeat [the $20 million figure] and that is just flat-out wrong,” Ms. Buchanan said. “And you know, we still have defamation laws in this country. To the extent that you keep repeating things that are flat-out wrong, you’re running afoul. That case could not have cost the government more than $500,000 and that’s on the outside.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to sue me, is that what you’re saying Mary Beth?,” Mr. Griffin asked.

After some back and forth Mr. Griffin asked if she would provide the salaries of the prosecutors and staffers on the case. “You’ll provide the cost of all the documentation for that case? Are you going to answer my question?”

“I am answering your question if you would shut up and let me talk,” she responded.

“This is how you’re going to run, telling people to shut up and threatening them with lawsuits?”

“Listen, if you want the facts I’m here to give them to you,” she said. “If you want to hear yourself talk, then why do you even invite people to come on and become guests?”

Read the full Post-Gazette story here

Tags: Jason Altmire, Mary Beth Buchanan

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