Rumor FBI investigating Dem.state supreme court justice McCaffery [View all]

[Divernan]

The FBI is investigating Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus P. McCaffery over fees his wife received for referring clients to personal-injury law firms, The Philadelphia Inquirer has learned.

The investigation is examining 19 referral fees paid to Lise Rapaport, the justice's wife and his chief aide for most of the last 16 years, according to several people with direct knowledge of the investigation.

In March, The Inquirer reported that Rapaport received an $821,000 referral fee in 2012 after a Philadelphia law firm successfully settled a multimillion-dollar medical-malpractice case.

Dion G. Rassias, an attorney for the justice and his wife, called any suggestion that there was a federal investigation "complete nonsense." He also said McCaffery has not done "anything at all improper. You're indulging rumors without any facts, which is sad," he said

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Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/inquirer-fbi-investigating-pennsylvania-supreme-court-justice-seamus-mccaffery-691228/#ixzz2VvKM0rzN

This is a rumor because as per usual, the FBI will neither confirm nor deny it.

Well this is a very interesting development. Since Orie was convicted and removed from the bench, the state supreme court is divided 4 Dems/4 Republicans. If McCaffery was forced out, the Republicans would have control of the court again. Which brings up the question, what is Corbett waiting for re appointing a replacement for Orie? That would give the GOP immediate control of the court again. Must be some hellacious infighting going on between Corbett & the Republican Senate re the quid pro quo to approve Corbett's choice. Anyone heard anything? (Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett may appoint an interim Justice to replace Orie with the approval of two thirds of the Pennsylvania Senate. The interim Justice's term would continue through the end of 2015, when a new Justice can be elected.)

Returning to the question of McCaffery, although I don't like the idea of his wife/employee collecting over a million dollars in referral fees from PA law firms, he has properly reported it on his annual statements (which do not require that amounts be included). So I hope Justice McCaffery toughs it out until after the 2014 election so Corbett won't get a chance to appoint another Republican to the court. McCaffery was elected in 2007, so his term expires in 2017. I note that McCaffery was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and is a former policeman, so expect he will put up a very strong fight.