United Press International
St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 5, 1980

ST. LOUIS - A niece of Sen. Thomas F. Eagleton, D-Mo., has been charged with attempting to extort money by claiming to have damaging evidence against the senator.

Eagleton told reporters Monday his niece threatened to release damaging material unless he forced the family-owned Missouri Pipe Fittings Co. to purchase her stock in the company.

He said he refused to purchase the $220,000 in stock because he felt the money would have gone to the Church of Scientology, of which his niece and her husband are members.

Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand and her attorney, Stephen E. Poludniak, were arrested Sunday by the FBI. Authorities said Poludniak assisted the 22-year-old woman in the scheme.

They were released Monday on bond.

Eagleton's attorney, William E. Buckley, told FBI officials that Poludniak said the supposedly damaging material contained photographs and affidavits that were gathered by private investigators working for Mrs. Weigand. Poludniak allegedly said the material would be damaging to Eagleton's political and personal reputation.

The material, which also supposedly involved J.J. Thyson, the managing director of the Missouri Pipe Fittings Co., would have been released Monday, just before the Missouri state primary today. Eagleton faces token opposition in the race.

"There is no such harmful information," Eagleton said. "I think the complaints are a bunch of nothing."

For my niece's sake, I would hope that she could free herself from her involvement with this Scientology group which, in my opinion, has caused her this great trouble," he said.

Eagleton said he will be a government witness when criminal proceedings are initiated and will use a telephone call from his niece and a letter from her as evidence in the case.