Claire Walsh

Claire Walsh
Dahlia Salem as Claire Walsh
General Hospital
Portrayed by	Dahlia Salem
Duration	2010–2011
First appearance	February 24, 2010
Last appearance	January 21, 2011
Cause/reason	Written off canvas
Created by	Robert Guza, Jr.
Profile
Gender	Female
Occupation	Partner in Mason, Petrovich, and Miller Law Firm Former Federal Prosecutor
Residence	Port Charles, New York
Relationships Parents Unnamed Man (Father) Unnamed Woman (Mother) Romances Sonny Corinthos (Lovers) [2010] First cousins Unnamed Distant Cousin (Deceased)

Claire Walsh is a fictional character from the original American daytime drama, General Hospital. She has been portrayed by Dahlia Salem as a recurring character from February 24, 2010 to January 21, 2011.

Storylines

Early history

As the daughter of a federal agent, Claire moved around often as a child. At age eleven, she developed a slight crush on her seventeen year-old distant cousin, who taught her how to deep-sea fish. This cousin was killed shortly afterwords while trying to prevent a store robbery. The shooter was acquitted on a technicality. Claire vowed to uphold the law as a prosecutor ever since.

Arrival in Port Charles

The Federal attorney Claire Walsh is brought to Port Charles along with Agent Thomas Rayner to investigate the criminal activities of mob boss Sonny Corinthos and Helena Cassadine. She is later hired by powerful businessman Jasper Jacks to prosecute Sonny when he is put on trial for his late wife Claudia's murder. Jax wants to put his longtime rival in prison for good. Claire immediately clashes with Jax's wife (and Sonny's ex-wife) Carly, and with Sonny's lawyer, Diane Miller.

Sonny's Trial and Michael's Imprisonment

Claire sees prosecuting Sonny as an opportunity to boost her career. She soon resorts to ethically-questionable tactics in order to get a conviction. After witnessing Sonny go off on a murderous tirade over how his estranged daughter, Kristina Davis, had recently dropped assault charges against Ethan Lovett (it is revealed shortly after she was in fact assaulted by her boyfriend Kiefer Bauer), Claire uses it to her advantage by having Johnny Zacchara, Claudia's younger half-brother and Sonny's longtime rival, lie on the stand and claim Sonny regularly beat up and abused Claudia. Sonny loses his temper, calling Claudia despicable names and shouting she got what she deserved. Unfortunately, Kristina is in the back of the courtroom and witnesses the whole thing. By the time anyone notices her there, Kristina has become convinced Sonny is a physically abusive monster. When Sonny's longtime friend, Robin Scorpio, is called in to testify, she initially paints Sonny in a positive light by telling how he had helped to found the hospital's HIV wing. Claire turns things around by forcing Robin to admit Sonny had demeaned Claudia and swore it would be the last time she ever lied on the night of the murder.

As Claire prepares to push Sonny to the limit to get a conviction, she enlists Sonny's long-lost son Dante Falconeri, recently shot by Sonny, to put the first nail in the mobster's coffin. Despite Claire's faith he will tell the truth, Dante perjures himself on the witness stand, claiming he accidentally shot himself. Claire, suspecting Dante's younger brother Michael Corinthos has information about Claudia's death, then begins pressuring the cop to find his recently-disappeared brother and bring him back to Port Charles to testify against Sonny. Dante refuses to do so. Claire takes Sonny's youngest son, Morgan Corinthos, out of school under false pretenses without Carly's knowledge to question him. Dante's attempts to vouch for Morgan only result in him being temporarily imprisoned for contempt of court. When it is Carly's turn to testify, she brings her infant daughter Josslyn with her; Carly's convincing, albeit false, testimony greatly weakens Claire's case against Sonny. Meanwhile, Dante has finally broken down and gone to search for Michael, locating him and bringing him back to Port Charles. However, Dante doesn't turn Michael in right away, leaving him alone long enough to escape.

Moments before the jury is about to deliver a verdict, Dante walks in and exposes Michael as Claudia's true killer. Upon discovering Jax knew all along, Claire is furious he misled her and her superiors from the start. She vows to bring him down with her if the case tanks her career. After Michael confesses to the crime, Judge Carroll, angry the trial had been a farce and determined to show everyone the legal system cannot be manipulated or circumvented, decides to make an example of Michael by giving him the particularly harsh sentence of two-to-five years in Pentonville Prison. Claire, like everyone else involved, feels guilty for her role in the tragedy. She had always believed it was Sonny who killed Claudia and never expected for anything to happen to Michael. To protect Michael, Jason Morgan, Sonny's lieutenant and best friend, makes a deal with Claire and is sent to prison along with him. When Sonny and Diane put their heads together to find out how to get Michael out of Pentonville, Claire decides to help them, explaining she was after Sonny and not Michael.

Claire and Jax then put their heads together to figure out how they can get Michael out of jail. With little luck, she goes to Dante and asks him to help dig up dirt on Judge Carroll. They plan to use the judge's dirty laundry to blackmail him into changing his verdict. Eventually, Dante convinces the judge to release Michael on the grounds he live with Dante and have minimal contact with Sonny.

Pursuing Sonny

Claire meets Dante's partner, Lucky Spencer at the park with his two sons, Cameron and Jake. Claire reveals she has always wanted children. In a sort of emotional meltdown, tells Lucky her "biological clock is ticking." Lucky cautions her raising children isn't as easy as it looks, but making his sons happy is what is really important. Claire tells him he is sorry for "unloading" on him but says if he ever wants any more children, to call her. Not long afterward, she asks Lucky to team up with her in an effort to put Sonny and mobster Johnny Zacchara behind bars once and for all. Lucky agrees to help. After they have spent more time together professionally, Claire asks Lucky out on a date.

In the meantime, in an attempt to revive her career after the embarrassing Michael Corinthos debacle, Claire makes it her mission to put Sonny in prison, permanently. Sonny offers to help her in putting Johnny away, by pushing Johnny into taking action against him. Claire agrees, but she later confides in Lucky she is merely playing Sonny, and plans to double cross him; Sonny is a "bigger win" than Johnny.

Claire also finds herself drawn into the return of the crazy psycho Robert Frank, who has reappeared in Port Charles to resume his feud with Jason. Jason makes a deal with Claire. He is temporarily released from Pentonville to draw Franco out of hiding. After causing havoc throughout Port Charles for many weeks, Franco departs again. Jason is sent back to prison. However, on August 16, 2010, Claire acts on a loophole she had secretly inserted in Jason's plea bargain to get him permanently released from Pentonville in order to gain Sonny's trust. Though her superiors are anything but pleased she put Jason back on the streets, Claire makes it clear to both them and Sonny she will build her career up her own way.

On July 27, 2010 Claire discovers Warren Bauer went on a rampage and tried to murder Kristina at the hospital out of revenge for the death of Kiefer, whom Alexis accidentally killed in a hit and run on April 2, only to be killed by Mac Scorpio. Claire is not entirely surprised by this news. She reveals Warren has been pestering and blackmailing her twice a day for the past month in an attempt to pressure her into reopening the investigation into Kristina's abuse. Claire subsequently asks Sonny to be her sperm donor, but he refuses.

The pair's love-hate relationship intensifies. Sonny is surprised when she tape records a conversation with him and proposes to use it as evidence his later shooting of Johnny was done in cold blood. She is soon rightly convinced the shooting was self-defense, and after Sonny and Johnny proctor a peace agreement. Claire and Sonny engage in a casually romantic relationship. Claire soon admits she has genuine feelings for Sonny. Sonny secretly admits to Dante he is only romancing Claire because he is on the rebound. Claire removes herself from the government's ongoing case against Sonny due to conflict of interest. Many people warn her this is a foolish idea, but Claire responds it is her choice.

In September 2010, she accompanies Sonny on a tropical romantic getaway.

The Break up and trying to Move on

In early October 2010, Sonny breaks up with Claire because of Brenda. Claire is bent on getting revenge at Sonny for leaving her. To this end, she confronts Jason in Sonny's offices, threatening to send Michael back to Pentonville unless Jason testifies against Sonny. Sonny arrives to do damage control. Jason decides to call Diane in. Claire admits she was bluffing and never had any intention of turning Michael in.

Claire and Sonny get back together late October. Claire and Sonny's romantic moment is cut short when they learn Brenda has been brought in to the PCPD. Claire chooses between career and love when Ronnie hands her proof of Sonny's culpability in the car-bombing. Sonny demands Claire tell the truth. Claire ultimately disposes of the evidence upon discovering Ronnie had obtained it without a warrant. When Kristina arrives to talk to Sonny, Claire allows her to do so and watches as the two finally make peace with one another.

Sonny ultimately decides to break things off with Claire to help her salvage her career and because of his longtime love for Brenda. She does him one last favor. Deciding Michael has been punished enough, she convinces the judge to lift the restrictions on Michael's release, allowing Sonny and Michael to see one another at any time. Claire reassures Sonny she has accepted he has moved on and tells him to follow his heart.

On November 23, 2010, Claire meets up with Diane and Alexis, asking to join their firm because her superiors are planning to transfer her. Though Alexis thinks it would be a good idea, Diane initially refuses because she believes they have enough "Sonny drama" at the office. On December 15, 2010, Claire reveals to Sonny her superiors are going to transfer her to Alaska. She asks to join Diane's firm again. Diane relents and tells Claire, while she believes it would be best for her to leave town, she will give her the job if she really wants it. On January 17, 2011, Claire visits Sonny to inform him she is now partners with Diane and Alexis at their firm. However, she has not been seen or mentioned since then.