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Conor Lamb

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Conor Lamb
File:Conor J. Lamb.jpg
Born
Conor James Lamb

(1984-06-27) June 27, 1984 (age 40)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA, JD)
Political partyDemocratic

Conor James Lamb (born June 27, 1984) is an American former federal prosecutor, a United States Marine, and he is the Democratic candidate for the 2018 special election for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district, which was held on March 13, 2018.[1][2][3][4] Occurring outside of normal election schedules, the special election is attracting national attention.[5][6][7]

Lamb was a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Pittsburgh, where he worked to combat the opioid epidemic by leading prosecutions of cases involving opioid-related deaths, violent crimes, and gun trafficking.[8][9]

Early life, family, and education

Lamb was born in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 1984 to Thomas F. Lamb, Jr. and Katie Lamb. He grew up in Mt. Lebanon Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The Lamb family has been active in Pittsburgh-area politics for many years. Conor's grandfather, Thomas F. Lamb, served as the Democratic Majority Leader in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1970 to 1974, and later served as Secretary of Legislative Affairs under Governor Robert P. Casey.[10] Conor's uncle Michael Lamb is the Controller of the City of Pittsburgh, and was previously the Prothonotary of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Lamb attended St. Bernard School in Mt. Lebanon, graduated from Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) in 2002 and identifies as Catholic.[11] He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a B.A. degree in political science, and earned a J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2009.

Military service

After law school, Lamb completed Officer Candidates School (United States Marine Corps) and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed at the Marine base on Okinawa Island, where he prosecuted cases of rape and sexual assault. Lamb completed his active duty service in 2013 as a Captain and joined the Marine Corps Reserves. In a high-profile case in 2017, he prosecuted and convicted a Marine officer who had lied under oath and to The Washington Post about a sexual misconduct case.[12]

Assistant U.S. Attorney

In 2013–14, Lamb clerked for Joseph Frank Bianco, a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Following that, in October 2014, Lamb was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the United States Department of Justice's Pittsburgh office, serving under then-U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania David J. Hickton. Lamb has been heavily involved in efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in Western Pennsylvania, and has led aggressive prosecutions involving opioid-related deaths, other violent crimes and drug and gun trafficking.

Notable cases

"Uptown Crew" gang prosecution

In 2015, Lamb won convictions against three men who were among 34 members of a heroin gang indicted in 2013 after a wiretap investigation by the FBI, the ATF, the state attorney general's office and local police. Thomas Hopes, described as the "CEO" of the violent heroin-distribution operation, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, and brothers Keith and Gregory Harris were sentenced to 20 years and 121 months in prison, respectively.[13][14] Lamb also helped win convictions against two New Jersey-based men, Aldwin Vega and Santino Drew, who were identified as two of the biggest suppliers of heroin to the Pittsburgh area. Vega was convicted at trial in September 2017 for trafficking a kilogram or more of heroin, and has not yet been sentenced. Drew was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.[15][16]

Pittsburgh-to-New York gun-running prosecution

In 2016, Lamb won convictions against two Pittsburgh residents, Brandon Goode and Mychael Scott, who acted as "straw buyers," purchasing firearms for a gun trafficker to help funnel hundreds of illegal weapons into New York City. Goode and Scott were sentenced to 65 and 60 months in prison, respectively.[17] Lamb also secured a conviction against the main gun trafficker, Michael Bassier, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.[18]

Andre Saunders

In 2016, Lamb secured a conviction against Andre Saunders, a drug dealer from Fayette County, Pennsylvania who imported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin from the West Coast into the Uniontown area and West Virginia and supplied heroin and cocaine to multiple dealers in the Uniontown area. Saunders was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine and sentenced to 10 years in prison, and was ordered to forfeit his BMW, five luxury watches and a necklace, $325,120 in cash, his Uniontown home, the proceeds of the sale of a second Uniontown home, a 9 mm pistol, and a money judgment of $100,000.[19]

Dorian Cottrell

In 2016, Lamb won a conviction against Dorian Cottrell, a heroin dealer who shot a man during a drug transaction at the Cambridge Square apartments in Monroeville, PA. Cottrell was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and was ordered to forfeit his BMW, $27,000 in cash and 10 firearms.[20]

2018 congressional campaign

Main article: Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district special election, 2018

On October 5, 2017, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Lamb was considering running for Congress in a special election for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district. The vacancy was created when Rep. Tim Murphy (R) resigned amid revelations that he had an extramarital affair, and had urged his mistress to terminate an unexpected pregnancy, despite his long record as a vocal opponent of abortion.[21] Murphy had run unopposed by a major candidate for his prior two elections, 2016 and 2014.

Lamb was selected as the Democratic nominee at a convention in November 2017.[22][23][24][25] In the general election, he faces Republican state Representative Rick Saccone.

Lamb's campaign website lists his top priorities as the heroin crisis, jobs and infrastructure, affordable health care, protecting Medicare and Social Security, reforming the student loan system, unions, and modern energy development.[26]

References

  1. ^ "Conor Lamb Wins First-Ever Congressional Democratic Convention". Pennsylvania Democratic Party. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  2. ^ "Pennsylvania special House election pits Conor Lamb against Rick Saccone". Fox News. January 19, 2018.
  3. ^ "Pennsylvania race to test Democrats' hopes for anti-Trump wave". Reuters. January 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Trump races to head off another special election debacle". Politico. January 11, 2018.
  5. ^ "Republican super PACs surge into Pennsylvania special election". The Washington Post. January 4, 2018.
  6. ^ "So it begins? National groups investing in Pa-18 special election". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 5, 2018.
  7. ^ "Democratic wave: Republicans are bracing for a potentially competitive special election in a usually reliable part of Pennsylvania". Politico. Retrieved January 22, 2018. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  8. ^ "First special election of 2018 is in Trump country — and Democrats are drooling". Salon. December 27, 2017.
  9. ^ Jenkins, Nash (March 12, 2018). "Meet Conor Lamb, the Democrat Who Could Pull Off an Upset in Pennsylvania's Special Election". [[Time (magazine}]]. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  10. ^ Ove, Torsten (May 10, 2015). "Obituary: Thomas F. Lamb / Masterful state political figure known as firm and fair". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  11. ^ "Pennsylvania Special Election Could Be the First Ripple in a Democratic Wave". New York Magazine. December 26, 2017.
  12. ^ Marimow, Ann E.; Cox, John Woodrow (April 13, 2017). "'Ready to pay': Marine taken in shackles after pleading guilty to lying in sexual misconduct case". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ Ove, Torsten (March 11, 2016). "Heroin boss gets 24 years in N.J.-to-Homestead federal drug case". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  14. ^ "Brothers Sentenced for Participating in a Violent Drug Conspiracy". U.S. Department of Justice. February 29, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  15. ^ Ove, Torsten (September 2, 2015). "N.J. man gets 20 years for dealing heroin". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  16. ^ "Federal Jury Finds New Jersey Man Guilty Of Supplying Heroin To Pittsburgh-based Drug Ring". U.S. Department of Justice. May 14, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  17. ^ Ove, Torsten (August 2, 2016). "Two Pittsburgh straw buyers convicted in gunrunning network sentenced". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  18. ^ Mandak, Joe (December 13, 2016). "Man gets 10 years for Pennsylvania-to-New York gun running". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  19. ^ Lord, Rich (May 23, 2016). "Fayette County heroin dealer sentenced". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  20. ^ Ove, Torsten (March 18, 2016). "Monroeville heroin dealer gets 15 years in federal prison". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  21. ^ Potter, Chris (October 5, 2017). "Tim Murphy's departure brings many would-be replacements, as well as a ray of hope for Democrats". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  22. ^ "Conor Lamb Wins First-Ever Congressional Democratic Convention". Pennsylvania Democratic Party. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  23. ^ Pennsylvania Democratic Party [@PADems] (November 19, 2017). "Results from round one of voting: Lamb: 225, Cerilli: 153, Iovino: 90, Crossey: 47, Brock: 21, Solomon: 18, Seewald: 0. Lamb, Cerilli, and Iovino advance to round two" (Tweet). Retrieved November 20, 2017 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Pennsylvania Democratic Party [@PADems] (November 19, 2017). "Results from round two: 545 total votes cast this round. Iovino: 74, Cerilli: 152, Lamb: 319" (Tweet). Retrieved November 20, 2017 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Pennsylvania Democratic Party [@PADems] (November 19, 2017). ".@ConorLambPA wins!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 20, 2017 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "Priorities - Conor Lamb". Conor Lamb. Conor Lamb for Congress. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
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