Orie sisters accused of threatening DA over grand jury probe
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Jack Orie, surrounded by his sisters, left to right, Jane Orie, Judith E. Orie, Justice Joan Orie Melvin and Janine Orie.
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An affidavit unsealed in the corruption case against state Sen. Jane Clare Orie says she and her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, dispatched an intermediary to convey threats in an attempt to halt a grand jury investigation into the senator.
The affidavit, which had previously been sealed by court order, became public when it was introduced into evidence at a preliminary hearing Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
PDF: Affidavit of Probable CauseRobert Kramm, described as a political consultant for the Laborers' District Council of Western Pennsylvania, met Nov. 19 with officials at the district attorney's office. According to the affidavit filed by district attorney Detective Lyle Graber. Mr. Kramm said the Orie sisters had asked him to convey a series of messages that included a threat to launch a "Wecht style" attack if District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. allowed the investigation to continue.
The reference was to the aggressive public response by former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht to a federal indictment charging him with misusing office resources for personal gain. Half the charges were dropped before trial and a jury deadlocked on the remaining counts before then U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan decided against seeking a retrial.
An Allegheny County grand jury earlier this year recommended charges against Ms. Orie, R-McCandless, and her sister, Janine, who was an aide to Judge Melvin, on allegations that they used employees and resources in Ms. Orie's state-funded office to help Justice Melvin's bids for the Supreme Court in 2003 and 2009. She won a seat on the Supreme Court last year.
"During this meeting, Kramm stated that he had been asked to meet with Senator [Jane] Orie and her sister Judge Joan Orie Melvin earlier that day. Kramm stated that the Orie sisters had asked him at this meeting to convey a message to District Attorney Zappala" regarding the office's criminal probe of the senator.
Among the allegations -- some of which were later raised by attorney Jerry McDevitt, who represented the senator during the probe -- were claims that deputy district attorney Lawrence Claus, who headed up the Orie investigation, had been fired from a job at the state attorney general's office after a complaint against him by Jane Orie.
First Published July 20, 2010 12:00 am
