Mayor Ravenstahl: "I've Done Nothing Wrong"
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In his first extensive interview in a long time, KDKA's Marty Griffin sat down with Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who wants the public to know that he certainly is not a criminal and he never broke the law.
"I'm not concerned about any sort of area, if you will, that this investigation has gone in because again whether it's personal, political, governmental, I've done nothing wrong," said Mayor Ravenstahl.
The mayor is on the hot seat, the focus of an FBI investigation that is now personal, the latest witness to testify before a federal grand jury, a longtime girlfriend.
"It has, in many cases, crossed the line into the personal life," Mayor Ravenstahl said. "Perhaps there's a lot of interest there; I'm not sure what that has to do with any sort of wrong doing."
Sources confirm the FBI is trying to prove the mayor broke the law by allegedly using bodyguards on overtime to drive him around and party, thus stealing public money.
"For me, facts are facts, the law is the law, and I know the facts and I know the law, and I know there's nothing that I've done to break that or do anything wrong," said Mayor Ravenstahl.
He believes the case for the FBI has gotten personal.
"There is an interest on the government's part to attempt to look under every stone, which is fine," Mayor Ravenstahl said. "They can keep turning them up as much as they want. They can even have conversations with me about my personal life if they want, if that's of interest to them. Why it is, I don't know."
The allegations have been broad, personal, professional, and even criminal.
Griffin: "Do you hate being portrayed as a criminal?"
Mayor Ravenstahl: "I don't know that I'm being portrayed as a criminal. People can make their own decisions. I can tell you the process is a bit frustrating and you can't defend yourself and be specific. But that's the hand we're dealt and that's the hand that we'll play."
Regarding the FBI, Mayor Ravenstahl says he's prepared, and always has been, to cooperate fully.
He says if he's indicted - and he doesn't know if he will be, nobody does - he promises he's preparing a vigorous defense.
RELATED LINKS:
Grand Jury Probing City Government Hears High-Profile Testimony (9/10/13)
More Reports on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
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