Former Pennsylvania Gov. and US Attorney General Dick Thornburgh dead at 88
In honor of Thornburgh, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday ordered the US and Pennsylvania flags on all commonwealth services, public buildings and grounds to fly at half-staff instantly.
Thornburgh served as Pennsylvania’s governor for 2 phrases between 1979 and 1987. The following 12 months he was tapped by President Ronald Reagan to guide the Justice Department, a place he stored throughout George H. W. Bush’s administration, till 1991.
“He guided Pennsylvania through a tumultuous period in our commonwealth’s history following the partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station,” Wolf stated. “His was a necessary and steady voice of calm in the midst of crisis … All of Pennsylvania mourns the loss of one of our great public servants.”
The nuclear accident occurred simply 71 days after Thornburgh was sworn in as governor. Among a few of his early actions in the course of the disaster was his ordering of the evacuation of pregnant ladies and younger youngsters from the realm. Though there is no indication the discharge of radiation triggered any well being points amongst both staff or most of the people, the incident led to stricter federal oversight of nuclear energy crops.
At the Justice Department, Thornburgh targeted on white-collar crime, drug trafficking and terrorism, amongst different points, in response to the NGA.
As Bush’s legal professional basic, Thornburgh performed a key function within the implementation of the landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, which expanded civil rights protections for Americans with disabilities.
Wolf celebrated Thornburgh’s involvement, saying that “during his tenure, the office of the Attorney General used its power to advocate for the needs of vulnerable Americans.”
This story has been up to date with extra particulars.
CNN’s Elizabeth Joseph contributed to this report.
