Patrick Meehan (DOJ)

Former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, who got a fundraising jump on Democrats in the battle for the Pennsylvania 7th District House seat, has maintained his lead, according to the most recent figures from the Federal Election Commission.

Meehan, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary, is one of four candidates seeking to replace Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, who is challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary.

In the first quarter of 2010 Meehan raised $343,000 and ended the quarter with $875,000 cash on hand. Although three Democrats have filed to run for the open seat, only one filed an April quarterly campaign finance report. In the first quarter of 2010 state Rep. Bryan Lentz raised more than $236,000 and  ended the quarter with slightly more than $607,000 cash on hand. Attorney Gail Conner and political consultant E. Teresa Touey are the other two Democratic candidates.

Meehan led the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2008,

The primary election will take place May 18.

Tom Corbett (gov)

Four former U.S. Attorneys have filed to run for office in Pennsylvania. Tuesday marked the deadline for major party candidates to file with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office. The primary elections to decide who will run in the November general elections will take place May 18.

Tom Corbett, who was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania by President George H.W. Bush in 1989 and served until 1993, is one of two candidates vying for the Republican nomination for governor. Current Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is term limited.

Corbett, who is the current state attorney general, will face state Rep. Sam Rohrer in the Republican primary. On the other side of the political aisle, four candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination: Montgomery County Commissioner and former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, state auditor general and former state Sen. Jack Wagner and state Sen. Anthony Williams.

Several former U.S. Attorneys are running for Congress in Pennsylvania:

Mary Beth Buchanan (Steve Pope)

Mary Beth Buchanan, who served as the Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney from 2001 until November 2009, is one of two candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District. She will face former Department of Homeland Security official Keith Rothfus in the Republican primary. Both candidates hope to challenge Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Patrick Meehan (doj)

In the 7th Congressional District, Pat Meehan, who led the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2008, is running unopposed in the Republican primary. Three Democrats — attorney Gail Conner, state Rep. Bryan Lentz and political consultant E. Teresa Touey – are looking to win their party’s nomination. The candidates hope to replace Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, who is challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary.

Tom Marino (Tom Marino for Congress)

Finally, Tom Marino, who was the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania from 2002 to October 2007, is one of three Republicans looking to unseat Rep. Chris Carney (D), who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The other two Republicans seeking the nomination are chiropractor and 2006 state Senate candidate David Madeira and Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk.

Former Pittsburgh U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan will decide within the next couple weeks whether she will seek the Republican nomination for a House seat in Western Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported today.

Mary Beth Buchanan (Steve Pope)

Buchanan, who served as the Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney from 2001 until November 2009, told the newspaper that she was “very encouraged” by meetings she had with local Republicans about seeking the 4th District seat just north of Pittsburgh that is held by Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), who is running for a third term.

“The common message I’ve been hearing, consistently, is that most voters feel the current administration is forcing its agenda and programs on people who don’t want them, who don’t feel like paying for them and who are not willing to leave this tax bill for future generations,” Buchanan told the Tribune-Review.

The ex-U.S. Attorney would likely challenge lawyer Keith Rothfus in the Republican primary, according to the newspaper. Congressional Quarterly rates the district as “likely Democratic” for the 2010 election.

Beaver County GOP Chairman Marty Matthews told the Tribune-Review that Buchanan would face an “uphill battle” if she runs. The former U.S. Attorney has received harsh criticism for her unsuccessful prosecution of former Allegheny County medical examiner Cyril Wecht.

Her office dismissed all charges against the prominent Democratic defendant after a federal judge threw out evidence that he ruled was improperly obtained. Wecht’s supporters accused Buchanan of targeting him because of his politics. And former Attorney General Richard Thornburgh asked Attorney General Eric Holder to discipline Buchanan for “vindictively” suggesting at a news conference that Wecht was guilty, but nothing ever came of the request -– at least publicly.

“Personal opinion, I think if there were another candidate who had the recognition that Mary Beth Buchanan has, it would be the better choice,” Matthews told the newspaper. “It’s the Wecht thing, primarily.”

We reported last week that Buchanan also came out on the losing end of an apparent political skirmish over a rescue mission for 53 Haitian orphans. She was trying to organize efforts to help Haitian children stranded in an orphanage destroyed by this month’s earthquake. But Altmire and Gov. Ed Rendell (D) planned their own rescue mission and kept the Bush U.S. Attorney mostly out of the loop.

Two other former U.S. Attorneys from Pennsylvania who served during the administration of George W. Bush have already declared their candidacies for House seats.

Tom Marino, who was the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania from 2002 to October 2007, is running for the seat held by Rep. Chris Carney (D). Patrick Meehan, who led the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2008, is seeking the seat that is being vacated by Rep. Joe Sestak (D), who is running against Sen. Arlen Specter in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.

Zane D. Memeger (Morgan Lewis)

Zane D. Memeger, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, is expected to be nominated for U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, while Charles M. Oberly III, a former state attorney general, is expected to be nominated for Delaware’s U.S. Attorney, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The newspaper reports that Memeger was recommended by Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter, both Democrats, according to the sources with knowledge of the selection process. He will have to pass his FBI background check before President Obama sends his nomination to the Senate.

Memeger was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district for 11 years before leaving in 2006 to join Philadelphia-headquartered Morgan Lewis, where he is now a partner, The Inquirer reports. His practice focuses on corporate and white collar crime. While in the U.S. Attorney’s office, Memeger served on the organized crime strike force. He was on the team that successfully prosecuted mobster Joey Merlino and  Imam Shamsud-din Ali on racketeering charges, according to the Inquirer.

Charles M. Oberly III (Drinker Biddle)

The Eastern District office has been vacant since Pat Meehan resigned in July 2008 to explore a bid for the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania. But he’s now running for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Joe Sestak (D), who is challenging party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary next year. The district’s current interim U.S. Attorney is Michael L. Levy.

Meanwhile, Oberly, who is now of counsel with the Wilmington office of the firm Drinker Biddle, is expected to be nominated within a month, according to the Inquirer’s sources. Oberly was the Delaware attorney general from 1983 to 1985. He had a failed bid for U.S. Senate in 1994.

People familiar with the Philadelphia U.S. Attorney selection process are pointing fingers at Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) for delays in candidate vetting, the Philadelphia Daily News reported today.

Arlen Specter (Gov)

The selection of a nominee for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania post is likely some time away, individuals familiar with the process told the Daily News. The Justice Department is reviewing several candidates for the job, because Specter and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) were unable to agree on a single candidate to recommend to the White House last month, according to the newspaper.

Senators who are in the same party as the president traditionally make joint recommendations to the White House. This means the U.S. Attorney recommendations would have been in Casey’s hands before Specter switched parties in April. Specter was included in the selection process when he became a Democrat, complicating the matter, according to the Daily News.

A Specter spokesperson declined to comment to the newspaper. Larry Smar, a spokesperson for Casey, told the Daily News that he didn’t “have a sense of when a nomination will be made.”

The newspaper said the following lawyers are thought to be among the finalists for the U.S. Attorney post, which was held by Patrick Meehan, who resigned in July 2008 and is running for a House seat in Pennsylvania:

• Cheryl A. Krause, a partner at Dechert LLP and former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

• James Eisenhower, a partner at Schnader Harrison Segal and Lewis LLP and former Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney.

• J. Huntley Palmer of JP Morgan Chase & Co. and a former Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney.

The three possible finalists declined to comment to the Daily News.

This post has been corrected from an earlier version.

Patrick Meehan (doj)

Pat Meehan, a former U.S. Attorney and Republican candidate for a House seat from the Philadelphia suburbs, is the only declared GOP candidate in the race, thanks to some careful maneuvering by the Delaware County Republican Party, The Bulletin of Philadelphia reports.

The seat will be open, as incumbent Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) has decided to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.). Initially, millionaire businessman Steve Welch was expected to run for the GOP nomination in the 7th congressional district; however, the party “successfully ‘persuaded’” him to run in the 6th district instead, The Bulletin reports.

However, Meehan might have one more hurdle to face — Dawn Stensland. The Bulletin reports that Stensland, a television reporter and anchor for Fox’s Philadelphia affiliate, is considering running for the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district.

Dawn Stensland (Fox)

If Stensland were to run she likely would “generate an immediate buzz,” as she has been in the limelight as a TV personality, the newspaper reports. In addition, Stensland is the wife of former well-known television anchor man Larry Mendte. According to The Bulletin, “a serious and aggressive Stensland campaign has the ability to throw the Meehan effort way off track,” as Stensland already is a household name, while Meehan is not.

Meehan might have an advantage in the fundraising arena, as he raised $212,000 in the third quarter of this year, and has $210,942.01 on hand, according to his most recent Federal Election Commission report.

Three Democrats have announced their candidacies: state Rep. Bryan Lentz, attorney and environmental consultant Gail Conner, and political consultant E. Teresa Touey.

Paul Mansfield (Nelson Levine de Luca & Horst)

A fired Assistant U.S. Attorney is suing Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department in an effort to get his job back, The Philadelphia Daily News reports.

Paul Mansfield, who was fired in 2007 after an 18-year career in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia, on Monday filed a 75-page federal civil complaint. According to the newspaper Mansfield claims he was fired in retaliation for filing a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint in April 2006.

In the EEOC complaint, Mansfield, a former prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleged that he was discriminated against based on age and physical disabilities, the newspaper reports.

Mansfield, who had focused on organized-crime cases, claims the harassment began in December 2005. His assignments were changed and, according to the EEOC complaint, he claimed that the U.S. Attorney’s office created a hostile working environment, The Daily News reports.

Patrick Meehan (doj)

The Daily News reported that, according to Mansfield’s lawsuit, he says he was harassed, humiliated and marginalized by then-U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid, then-chief of the criminal division Linda Dale Hoffa and others.

Mansfield also claims the office officials pressured him to him to drop his EEOC complaint, the newspaper reports. He was reprimanded, suspended and eventually fired.

Meehan, who resigned in July 2008, currently is a Republican candidate for a House seat from the Philadelphia suburbs.

Following Meehan’s resignation Magid was named interim U.S. Attorney; however she abruptly resigned in May 2009, a month before her 120-day interim appointment would have expired.

Mansfield, who is acting as his own attorney, is seeking his old job back, damages and attorney’s fees. The Daily News reports that a person familiar with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mansfield “was not the first person who had problems, and in the past, [management] guided people to a soft landing. That didn’t happen in his case.” Meehan did not return a request for comment. Patty Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said, “We cannot comment on pending litigation.”

Chris Christie (gov)

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie is traveling to Pennsylvania tomorrow to campaign for his former U.S. Attorney colleague Pat Meehan, a Republican candidate for a House seat from the Philadelphia suburbs. Both Christie and Meehan served as U.S. Attorneys during the Bush administration – Christie in New Jersey and Meehan in Philly.

Christie, who will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 19, will attend two events Wednesday, one in the early evening at the Union League of Philadelphia and a second event at the Concordville Inn in Concordville, Pa. In an email to supporters, Meehan referred to Christie as his “good friend” who “is coming to town to show his support for my candidacy.”

Meehan is running for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Joe Sestak, who is challenging party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary for Senate next year. The former prosecutor had flirted with running for Pennsylvania governor but abandoned those plans when Sestak announced his run for Senate.

Patrick Meehan (doj)

The former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Pat Meehan, is keeping pace on fundraising with his likely Democratic opponent for a House seat next year, Federal Election Commission reports show.

Meehen is running for the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district. State Rep. Bryan Lentz is bidding for the Democratic nomination.

Meehan’s FEC report shows he raised $212,000 in the third quarter of this year, and has $210,942.01 on hand. Lentz raised$220,000 in the quarter, and has $218,000 cash on hand.

Bryan Lentz (gov)

The seat is open because Sestak is mounting a Democratic primary challenge against party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter (D) next year. Meehan was previously considering a run for Pennsylvania governor in 2010.

Meehan served as the Philadelphia-based district’s top prosecutor from September 2001 until July 2008. Meehan’s deputy, Laurie Magid, was named interim U.S. Attorney. But she abruptly resigned in May, a month before her 120-day interim appointment would have expired. Magid’s husband had hosted a fundraising event for Meehan, which stirred controversy in the office. Some prosecutors had also complained about her management skills.

Another controversial Bush-era U.S. Attorney is mulling a run for higher office.  The Western District of Pennsylvania’s Mary Beth Buchanan is considering a bid for a House seat, according to Jim Roddey, the head of Allegheny County’s Republican Party, told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Mary Beth Buchanan (Steve Pope)

Buchanan wore multiple hats in the Bush administration, serving as the district’s top federal prosecutor since 2001 while simultaneously holding leadership positions at Department of Justice headquarters in Washington. She headed the Executive Office of United States Attorneys From 2004 to 2005, and came under scrutiny in the House Judiciary Committee’s investigation of events leading up to the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings. Democrats have also accused her of targeting Democrats for prosecution.

Last November Buchanan told local reporters she would not voluntarily step down. Roddey told The Post-Gazette that Buchanan should resign if she announces her candidacy. (Well, we’d guess so.)

If Buchanan ran, she’d join former White House aide and ex-interim Eastern Arkansas U.S. District Attorney Tim Griffin — another figure from U.S. Attorney firings scandal — in running for the House. Griffin has begun raising money for the GOP nomination against Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder in Little Rock. And former New Jersey U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R) is locked in an acrimonious battle for governor against the incumbent, Gov. Jon Corzine (D).

Also in Pennsylvania, the Bush-appointed former U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia, Patrick Meehan, is running for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), who is mounting a Democratic primary challenge against party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter next year.

Pennsylvania Democratic Sens. Specter and Bob Casey are in charge of recommending a Democratic replacement for Buchanan to President Barack Obama. But they have yet to make any announcements.

Roddey told The Post-Gazette that Buchanan has been weighing a challenge to  Rep. Jason Altmire (D), who represents Pennsylvania’s 4th congressional district, for at least a month. In addition, Buchanan is consulting with state and national GOP leaders to gauge party support and her chances are of winning, Roddey told The Post-Gazette.

Buchanan’s chances are 50-50, Roddey told The Post-Gazette, adding, “She’s in the exploratory phase right now. It will take at least a million dollars to run, so that’s a big consideration.” Roddey also told The Post-Gazette, “[Ms. Buchanan has] certainly got the name recognition, and I think a woman could do well in that district. And she’s a fresh face. … It’s generally a conservative area. A lot of them are now concerned that Obama may be a little too liberal for them. You never know. It’s still a long way to go, but I know she would be a viable candidate.”

Former Department of Homeland Security official Keith Rothfus is planning to run for the Republican nomination in the 4th district. And Mike Turzai, the  state House Whip, has been mentioned as a possible candidate.