Waldholtz's stepmom dies during trial

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The stepmother of a former political strategist accused of stealing from her and his brother has died.

Marilyn Frank Waldholtz, 79, was a witness in the Joseph Waldholtz trial, which was delayed this month until August because of scheduling conflicts. She died Thursday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this week.

She had been recovering from heart surgery.

Earlier this month, she testified that Joseph Waldholtz had misappropriated tens of thousands of dollars from the estate of his late father. According to prosecutors, he cashed checks from his stepmother's account, a $25,000 insurance check to her from his father's estate and a $5,200 check from the Department of Veterans Affairs to his brother.

He is charged with forgery, theft and receiving stolen property. He pleaded innocent to the charges.

Waldholtz was on probation for previous legal troubles that forced his ex-wife, former U.S. Rep. Enid Greene, R-Utah, to abandon re-election hopes. In 1996, he pleaded guilty to writing $2.76 million in bad checks and illegally funneling $1.8 million he had swindled from Greene's father into his wife's campaign account.

A spokesman for the Allegheny County District Attorney's office could not immediately say what impact, if any, Marilyn Waldholtz's death may have on the case.