Former state Sen. Thomas Bromwell plans to file a petition seeking to regain much of his property that was seized by the U.S. government before his public corruption trial, his former attorney said Tuesday.
“All of these funds are legitimate funds,” said Joshua Treem, whose firm used to represent Bromwell. “There are at least five or six appellate courts and all have rejected the Fourth Circuit?s reasoning.”
Bromwell is contesting last week?s U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals? decision that told federal prosecutors they had the authority to seize his finances. Treem says the finances, including Bromwell?s house and several financial accounts totaling around to $250,000, are unrelated to any alleged criminal activity.
Prosecutors already have backed off attempts to collect a $400,000 severance package Bromwell will receive in a separation agreement with the Injured Workers Insurance Fund, the public-private corporation he has headed since April 2002.
Prosecutors withdrew the request after the Bromwells sufficiently demonstrated they needed the money to fund their own defense.
While in office, prosecutors claim, a contractor gave Bromwell more than $85,000 in construction work on a new house and $192,000 for a no-show job given to Bromwell?s wife, Mary Patricia Bromwell.
In exchange, Bromwell helped the contractor?s companies win multimillion-dollar contracts, according to prosecutors.
Because of the indictment, federal prosecutors successfully sought a judge?s order seizing some of Bromwell?s assets, but the Bromwells argued the seized property was not fair game, because it did not derive from the alleged racketeering activity.
Treem?s firm has since been removed from the case because U.S. District Court Judge Frederick Motz issued an order postponing the trial due to undisclosed “attorney conflict issues.” Treem said he could not discuss why his firm no longer represents Bromwell. He also said he did not know whether he would represent the former state senator on his appeal seeking the return of his financial accounts.
