Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand

Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand was convicted along with her attorney Stephen Poludniak of attempting to blackmail Weigand's uncle, United States Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri, during his 1980 re-election bid.

Weigand and Poludniak threatened to go public with a false claim that Eagleton was bisexual unless Eagleton paid $220,000 for Weigand's minority interest in a family business.

Eagleton reported Poludniak and Weigand to authorities and they were prosecuted. Both Poludniak and Weigand pled guilty and were convicted.

Eagleton told reporters that the extorted money was to be turned over to the Church of Scientology.

Eagleton won re-election to the United States Senate in the 1980 election.

External links

* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E3DA1739F934A2575AC0A967948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fE%2fExtortion%20and%20Blackmail 1981 New York Times article on appeal from criminal case]

* [http://www.digl-watch.info/weigand_archive.htm Associated Press reports on the criminal prosecution]

* [http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/AD9D8F788E573862862572940064A176?OpenDocument Eagleton obituary mentioning the blackmail attempt]

External sources

"United States v. Stephen E. Poludniak and Libby Wiegand", No. 80-00143 CR (1), United States District Court for the Second District of Missouri