Anonymous Report This Comment Date: January 20, 2006 04:45AM
Always do it in public, brains always look so much better than in private. Suck
a 44.. If he would have missed, I would have been disappointed.
shaDEz Report This Comment Date: January 20, 2006 11:20AM
Bud Dwyer
During the early 1980s, employees of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania overpaid
millions of dollars in FICA taxes. As a result, the Commonwealth began
requesting bids for the task of calculating refunds to each employee.
One firm, California-based Computer Technology Associates, was owned by a
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native named John Torquato Jr.. Torquato used his
Harrisburg-area connections and a series of bribes to obtain the contract, worth
$4.6 million. An anonymous memo then reached the governor's office, describing
the bribes that had taken place.
In late 1986, Dwyer was charged as having agreed to accept a related kickback of
$300,000. Dwyer never actually received any money.
A plea bargain was made for Torquato and Dauphin County Republican Party
Chairman William Smith (Torquato's attorney) as well as Smith's wife, which
required them to testify against Dwyer. This coupled with the government's
refusal to name unindicted co-conspirators in the case, made it difficult for
Dwyer to defend himself, though the unindicted co-conspirators are believed to
have been Republican staffers who ran the Dauphin County Republican Party.
During this time, the local United States Attorney offered Dwyer a plea bargain
that carried a five year maximum sentence in exchange for a one-count guilty
plea, resignation, and cooperation in the investigation.[1] Dwyer refused the
offer, and was later convicted but continued to vehemently protest his
innocence. Under state law, Dwyer would continue to serve as state treasurer
until his sentencing of possibly up to 55 years in prison and a fine of
$300,000.
On January 22, 1987, the day before his sentencing, Dwyer called a press
conference to "provide an update on the situation." Many expected
Dwyer to announce his resignation from office.
At the conference, an agitated and nervous Dwyer once again professed his
innocence, and declared that he would not resign as state treasurer. Those
attending would hear his final words:
"I thank the good Lord for giving me 47 years of exciting challenges,
stimulating experiences, many happy occasions, and, most of all, the finest wife
and children any man could ever desire.
"Now my life has changed, for no apparent reason. People who call and write
are exasperated and feel helpless. They know I'm innocent and want to help. But
in this nation, the world's greatest democracy, there is nothing they can do to
prevent me from being punished for a crime they know I did not commit. Some who
have called have said that I am a modern day Job.
"Judge Muir is also noted for his medieval sentences. I face a maximum
sentence of 55 years in prison and a $300,000 fine for being innocent. Judge
Muir has already told the press that he, quote, 'felt invigorated' when we were
found guilty, and that he plans to imprison me as a deterrent to other public
officials. But it wouldn't be a deterrent because every public official who
knows me knows that I am innocent — it wouldn't be a legitimate punishment
because I've done nothing wrong. Since I'm a victim of political persecution, my
prison would simply be an American gulag.
"I ask those that believe in me to continue to extend friendship and prayer
to my family, to work untiringly for the creation of a true justice system here
in the United States, and to press on with the efforts to vindicate me, so that
my family and their future families are not tainted by this injustice that has
been perpetrated on me.
"We were confident that right and truth would prevail, and I would be
acquitted and we would devote the rest of our lives working to create a justice
system here in the United States. The guilty verdict has strengthened that
resolve. But as we've discussed our plans to expose the warts of our legal
system, people have said, 'Why Bother,' 'No One Cares,' 'You'll Look Foolish,'
60 Minutes, 20/20, the American Civil Liberties Union, Jack Anderson and others
have been publicizing cases like yours for years, and it doesn't bother
anyone..."
At this point Dwyer stopped with his prepared text and called to three of his
staffers, giving each an envelope. One contained a suicide note to his wife, a
second was an organ donor card and other related materials, and a third was a
letter to Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey, who had been inaugurated just two
days before.
After handing out the envelopes, Dwyer opened a fourth large manila envelope and
withdrew a .357 Magnum revolver, advising those in the crowd to "Please
leave the room if this will offend you." Those in attendance cried out to
Dwyer, pleading with him to put the gun down. Some tried to approach him.
"Stay away, this thing will hurt someone," he warned.[2] Those were
his final words. Amid the cry of "Budd, Budd, Budd," Dwyer put the gun
barrel into his mouth, pulled the trigger, and collapsed on the floor bleeding,
in front of five live television news cameras. Medical crews immediately arrived
and treated Dwyer's hopeless injuries, which he succumbed to at 11:31 a.m. at
Harrisburg Hospital.
Bud Dwyer was cool, huh huh
shaDEz Report This Comment Date: January 20, 2006 11:33PM
i vaguely remember seeing it i was only seven and my mom got me away from the
tv when she noticed i was watching
filter made a bad ass song about it
