THE BRADY HUNCH
Brady resigns as U.S. attorney, fueling rumors of run for office.
Scott Brady on Friday announced he will resign his position as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania at the end of the month.
Mr. Brady, of Ohio Township, was sworn in to the office in December 2017 after being nominated by then-President Donald Trump. His resignation will go into effect Sunday.
“Leading this office has been the greatest honor of my professional career,” Mr. Brady wrote in a statement. “I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving as chief law enforcement officer for my home, Western Pennsylvania.”
His resignation immediately fueled speculation over what’s next for his career, as the GOP chair in the county with the most registered Republicans in Pennsylvania said he hopes to recruit Mr. Brady for a run for governor or the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Throughout his time as U.S attorney, Mr. Brady focused extensively on drug-related crime, particularly in the wake of the opioid crisis. The office in 2018 joined a program funded by the White House bringing in $1 million a year after the region was designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Other investigations led to indictments of gang members and other similar crimes, such as a federal grand jury late last year indicting 30 people connected to the Pagans Motorcycle Club, which was accused of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.
Mr. Brady frequently touted his pursuit of protesters accused of committing crimes during the racial justice demonstrations that sprung up after the killing of George Floyd.
The decision to charge protesters who were already facing state prosecution raised eyebrows in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office and chafed some defense attorneys.
Mr. Brady also became the target of recent scrutiny after the New York Times reported in December that then-Attorney General William Barr asked the prosecutor to look into information that Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani had on Joe Biden’s family.
Mr. Brady and Mr. Giuliani had a four-hour meeting in January 2020 to discuss the materials, the Times reported, raising concerns in the Justice Department and the FBI that Mr. Brady was using the office to hurt Mr. Biden’s chances in the election.
The U.S attorney’s office said Mr. Brady was not available for interviews Friday, and a spokesperson declined to comment on the investigation into the Biden family.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Kaufman will become the acting U.S. attorney when Mr. Brady’s resignation is official.
Some Republican insiders have described the prosecutor as a dream candidate for higher office.
Sam DeMarco, chairman of Allegheny County’s Republican Party, said there’s no doubt that party members will try to recruit Mr. Brady for a run for U.S. Senate or Pennsylvania governor in 2022.
“For me, if Scott Brady said he was interested in running for either of those positions, I’d be announcing my support for him tomorrow,” said Mr. DeMarco, who plans to be one of the GOP officials to encourage a Brady candidacy.
“I hope he says yes, and I look forward to that day,” Mr. DeMarco added, “but I also understand that while he loves his country and his commonwealth, you got to take care of your family, and he loves his family and he’s going to do what he thinks is best.”