Wild GOP rumor

Here's our first juicy election rumor of the day:

An effort is underway today to write-in a certain big Republican name for county District Attorney, to take on Stephen A. Zappala in the fall. It's an attorney who has held elected office. He's been praised in the Post-Gazette recently for his legal acumen -- he's also been mentioned in the P-G many many for his own issues with the law.

Chuck McCullough.

Yes the same Chuck McCullough who is running for the GOP nod for county executive, and who faces a Sept. 1 trial -- being prosecuted by the DA's office -- for charges he took funds from an elderly legal client without her knowledge.

Should he get the necessary number of valid signatures (we think 250 -- or maybe 500; checked with elections division), it means McCullough will be on the ballot one way or another, either as exec or DA. (If he wins the party nod for both, he'll have to drop from one of the races.) It also means the headaches will continue for Jim Roddey and the rest of the local (and state) GOP establishment, which has lined up 100% behind his executive opponent D. Raja.

The bid also shows the strains facing the GOP in the tea party era -- McCullough does have support for his executive bid from some groups, and we're told the DA effort is being led by similar troops including Bethel Park pro-life activist/McCullough organizer Sue Means.

UPDATE: The group Veterans and Patriots United is also helping with the effort, calling it a form of "protest" (against the DA's charges? We're not sure.)

Say this for McCullough -- he won't back down.