Sen. Casey asks AG Barr to end Pittsburgh's involvement in Ukraine probe

Pennsylvania’s senior U.S. senator on Monday urged Attorney General William Barr to stop diverting law enforcement resources from the Pittsburgh region to vet information about Ukraine.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, wrote that he questions whether Barr and the Department of Justice’s leadership is more interested in helping the president’s political agenda than serving his constituents in Western Pennsylvania.

“Law enforcement resources in Western Pennsylvania should not be diverting from combating serious safety issues to vetting Russian propaganda from (Rudolph) Giuliani,” Casey wrote in a letter to Barr.

Barr’s office could not be reached for comment.

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady’s office was thrust into the spotlight this month when the Justice Department confirmed the Pittsburgh office’s involvement as an “intake process in the field” to receive and vet information about Ukraine, including material from Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer.

“I am very concerned that the DOJ is diverting essential law enforcement resources away from urgent public safety concerns in the Western District of Pennsylvania in order to accept and review ‘information’ that is Russian propaganda and political smears against the president’s political rivals,” Casey wrote.

Instead, Brady’s office should focus its resources on battling the opioid epidemic, something Brady’s office has made a priority and shown success in dealing with, Casey wrote.

Brady’s office declined to comment about Casey’s letter.

Bruce Antkowiak, a professor at Saint Vincent College who previously worked as a federal prosecutor, said the Pittsburgh office is staffed with able, veteran prosecutors who can handle having a role in any Ukraine-related investigation without it impacting other work in the Western District.

“You have a considerable number of people there who have basically seen it all. I think they will have no difficulty allocating their resources without prejudicing any of the other work they’re doing,” Antkowiak said.

He has “sincere doubt” that any of the work involving Ukraine would take away from work to combat the opioid epidemic or any other investigation.