The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania is the top law enforcement officer for the region, prosecuting federal crimes ranging from national security to civil rights, from public corruption to narcotics.
The office takes its marching orders from the sitting President, so Trump appointee Scott Brady says he understood that attorneys hired during the Obama administration might feel some trepidation about his arrival.
Brady, who previously served in the office as an assistent U.S. Attorney under then-President George W. Bush, says he reminded his colleagues something he learned during his previous posting: The office is intended to transcend partisanship and prosecute according to existing law.
"Guys, you've done these cases before. You have done white collar cases. You have prosecuted opioid cases or firearm cases. It's just a reallocation of resources. So the new administration, the Attorney General and the President, absolutely have the right to give us our marching orders and define what the priorities are and what the needs are -- we contextualize those to Western Pennsylvania. And so our mission is an apolitical mission."
Brady, whose prosecutorial priorities have included antiterrorism, opioids, violent crime and immigration enforcement, joins "The Confluence" in his first sit-down interview since being sworn in last year.
Later in the program, 90.5 WESA's Katie Blackley takes a close look at a one of Pittsburgh's most storied bridges, and WESA's Katie Meyer visits the final installation at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville ahead of the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
And as Pittsburgh voters approach a handful of tight midterm election contests, WESA government and accountability editor Chris Potter joins long-time Democratic campaign consultant Abigail Gardner to break down the state of local Senate, Congressional and gubernatorial campaign finance.
