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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ColtonGang who wrote (158209)	7/6/2001 9:28:58 AM
From: Ish	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

I have the whole story here. Looks like Mezvinsky and his wife are both democrats and friends of the Clintons. You left that off. Ex-Rep. Mezvinsky Plans Insanity Plea PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Former Rep. Edward M. Mezvinsky, charged with swindling banks and clients out of $10.4 million, will plead innocent by reason of insanity to fraud charges, defense papers say. Lawyer Mark E. Cedrone notified U.S. District Judge Stuart Dalzell that Mezvinsky, 64, would raise the insanity defense based on a long history of mental illness, ``most likely bipolar disorder.'' ``Essentially, Mr. Mezvinsky takes the position that even though he may have engaged in much (although not all) of the conduct attributed to him in the indictment,'' he did not intend to defraud anyone, Cedrone wrote in papers filed Tuesday in federal court. Mezvinsky, who represented a district in Iowa from 1973 to 1977, is married to former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, D-Pa., who served from 1993 to 1995. Because of Mezvinsky's mental illness, Cedrone wrote, ``he did not appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct and consequently, was legally insane.'' Cedrone said the illness affected his client's judgment, blinding him from the risks associated with a pyramid-like financial scheme he allegedly entered into with con artists from Africa. In a pyramid scheme, early investors are paid off with the proceeds of later investors. ``An individual suffering from a severe bipolar disorder sees no downside to even the most bizarre financial investment,'' Cedrone said, adding that such people ``frequently go bankrupt and destroy their lives and the lives of others.'' He said Mezvinsky's mental problems were exacerbated by the use of the anti-malaria drug Lariam. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) advises travelers not to take the drug, also known as mefloquine, if they have ``a history of severe mental illness or other psychiatric disorders.'' Mezvinsky was indicted in March on 66 counts of fraud and related charges. The next day, he filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court alleging that Lariam contributed to his mental problems. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Zauzmer has said that after looking at Mezvinsky's medical records and researching the drug, authorities concluded the defense had no merit and Mezvinsky was in his right mind. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he would likely face around seven to nine years in prison if convicted on all counts, prosecutors said. Since 1999, Mezvinsky and his wife have been the target of lawsuits alleging they owe at least $7.4 million to banks and individuals. Margolies-Mezvinsky has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. Both have filed for bankruptcy. After leaving Congress, Mezvinsky moved to Pennsylvania, where he served as chairman of the Democratic State Committee before running an unsuccessful campaign for state attorney general in 1988. His wife lost her bid for re-election to Congress in 1994 after casting the deciding vote in favor of former President Clinton (news - web sites)'s tax-raising budget in 1993. She ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1998. Both are good friends of the Clintons.