PITTSBURGH -- U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan stepped down on Monday after eight years and several controversial, high-profile cases that could help propel her into a new career in Congress.
Buchanan would not answer a question from Team 4 regarding whether anyone has asked her to run against U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire in Pennsylvania's 4th district.
"I'm going to take some time off over the next couple of weeks and think about many of the options that I have available to me," Buchanan said on Monday.
"I know she's given it consideration," Allegheny County Republican Chairman Jim Roddey told Channel 4 Action News last month. "We've talked to her several times in the past about whether or not she'd be interested in running for either attorney general, whether or not she'd like to run for county executive, whether or not she'd like to run for Congress."
Buchanan's resignation had been expected for some time after President Barack Obama's election. She was appointed by President George W. Bush in September 2001 and has served as western Pennsylvania's top federal prosecutor since that time.
During her tenure, Buchanan made headlines with
the prosecution of comedian Tommy Chong for drug paraphernalia and an
obscenity case against the Extreme Associates company that made so-called "horror porn" movies.
Buchanan was also behind the lengthy, failed prosecution of Dr. Cyril Wecht, Allegheny County's former medical examiner. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice
said it would review public comments she made about Wecht when the case was dropped.
Buchanan told Team 4 on Monday that she has no regrets about the Wecht case. She said she followed her conscience and believes she made the right decision to prosecute the 78-year-old Squirrel Hill doctor.
Last month, Wecht told Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo that he feels public corruption cases like the one brought against him were politically motivated. Wecht said he's still hurting financially from the attempts to convict him.
"This is a track record of an abominable, professionally despicable nature, one that she should be ashamed of," said Wecht. "Ask yourself, 'Aren't there 92 other U.S. attorneys in America?' Nobody else was excited about Tommy Chong? Only Mary Beth Buchanan?"
Former assistant U.S. attorney Steve Stallings prosecuted Wecht under Buchanan.
"I think Mary Beth Buchanan was tough and formidable," said Stallings. "I think what should be remembered from her service was her efforts to fight corruption. My beef is with anyone who says she was motivated by politics. That's simply untrue."
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