DeAngelo brothers threaten to sue Kanjorski

From Rollcall:

Barletta Associates Pre-emptively Threaten Democrats With Legal Action

Business associates of Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta (R) have issued a rare pre-emptive strike against possible Democratic plans to use their troubled past to smear the Republican in his race against Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.).
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To read the whole story you have to have a subscription but it has to do with this story by Borys in the CV.

Barletta contributors questioned

Paul and Neal DeAngelo, the owners of DBiServices Inc., each gave Barletta $1,000 on March 28.In 1994, Paul DeAngelo was sentenced to 18 months in jail for his role in the Empire drug ring, which operated in the late 1980s. He was released in 1995.

I'll post an update as soon as I get more details.

Update from PolitickerPA:

Barletta allies seek pre-emptive deflection of campaign attacks

Specifically, the brothers and their company, DeAngelo Brothers Inc., sought to prevent any allegations that the brothers purchased Barletta's company with illegal money, allegations both Barletta and the brothers describe as patently false....

"The purpose of his letter is to inform you that such statements are demonstrably false and are considered by DBI and its principles to be defamatory," attorney Donald Brobst of Rosenn Jenkins & Greenwald LLP wrote in the July 25 letter, Roll Call reported. "You can be assured that DBI and its principals will immediately take all steps necessary to protect their interests in the event that you or any other persons acting on behalf of the Congressional Campaign of Congressman Kanjorski make false and defamatory statements concerning the purchase of IRM or any other matter."

A DCCC spokeswoman told Roll Call that the letter said more about Barletta's campaign than about any campaign plans by the Democrats, saying "voters ought to question what's worrying Lou Barletta's supporters so much that they resorted to these heavy-handed threats."