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Evidence-Dumping Lobbyist Pleads Guilty in Weldon Probe
The federal investigation of former Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) has nabbed another one.
Pleading guilty in federal court today was Cecelia Grimes, Weldon's very good friend and a former lobbyist.
Grimes admitted to destruction of evidence and could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The case goes back to October 2006, just after the feds began investigating Weldon for alleged nepotism, particularly concerning the lucrative lobbying contracts awarded to his inexperienced daughter.
Grimes admitted today that just a few days after the feds served her with a subpoena, she stuffed a stack of documents into a trash bag and put it on the curb outside her home for pick up. The FBI later retreived those documents, which included records of her travel plans and Weldon's campaign.
She also told a federal judge that she threw her Blackberry into a trash can at a fast food restaurant in Pennsylvania so the FBI could not recover the emails stored on it.
The court documents refer to Weldon only as "Representative A."
Weldon's chief of staff pleaded guilty last year
This federal investigation probably contributed to Weldon's failure to win reelection in 2006, But so far, none of this seems to be getting in the way of Weldon's new career as an international arms dealer.
Josh
Zachary
Some people reinvent themselves. Look at Heidi Fleiss, the Hollywood madam. Convicted for supplying prostitutes to undercover agents, she served time. Now the industrious woman is putting together a Stud Farm, a male brothel for women only. Why do women serve time while politicians, who probably should be behind bars, resurface --no matter how low it is that they sink?
www.RITAWATSON.com
July 25, 2008 6:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
The DoJ had Grimes on the hook for destroying evidence since 11/06. I wonder if she knew it. Earlier this year, Grimes & Young changed its name from Grimes & Young to the Center Hill Group so maybe she did know what was coming down the pike.
If the DoJ had pressed charges involving Grimes' "lobbying", Cindy Young and her father-in-law, Rep. C.W. Bill Young, would probably have been brought into the case. I can't imagine that there wasn't pressure from the WH to keep the Youngs out of it.
Grimes has a top-tier attorney, Richard L. Scheff of Montgomery McCracken, who can't be cheap.
"...Prior to joining Montgomery McCracken, Mr. Scheff had a distinguished career as the Chief of the Corruption/Labor Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania...
In addition, Mr. Scheff prosecuted and supervised many significant fraud matters including defense contractor fraud cases, the Guiffre Hospital cases and the Guerin/Ferrante fraud matter involving illegal arms sales to Iraq and South Africa..."
A few days before the Grimes indictment was announced, USA ED-PA Patrick Meehan suddenly resigned. Meehan was Delaware County District Attorney from '95 to '01.
I speculated that he was somehow involved in the Weldon investigation and was told to resign. But then I read that Meehan joined Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn of Philadelphia.
James Rohn is or was representing Karen Weldon.
Maybe Meehan is going to help Weldon as a private attorney. I'm sure he has some inside dope.
July 26, 2008 7:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
USA Meehan going to Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn
- this sounds like the USA in Calif going to the law firm defending Rep Jerry Lewis(R-Ca) game all over again. More advance get-out-of-jail free cards.
Hard to believe that casinos throw you out just for counting cards, while the judicial system is a totally stacked deck.
July 26, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink