patrick.net

DOBBS FERRY, New York -- A former president of the U.N. General Assembly awaiting trial in a bribery scandal died in a weightlifting accident when a barbell he was lifting from a bench dropped on his neck, an autopsy revealed Thursday.

John Ashe was declared dead late Wednesday afternoon by a paramedic who responded to his Dobbs Ferry home.

Dr. Kunjlata Ashar, Westchester County's medical examiner, said the cause of death - traumatic asphyxia - was determined during an autopsy, though she did not perform the procedure herself and did not have additional details. It was deemed an accident based on a combination of information from the autopsy and an investigation by the Dobbs Ferry Police Department, officials said.

The police department said in a statement that the death appears accidental, but provided little information otherwise.

Ashe, the former United Nations ambassador from the twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, was arrested last fall and had pleaded not guilty to tax charges

related to a bribery scandal. His attorney said he was planning to go to trial.

In a statement Wednesday, current U.N. General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft described Ashe as a "hard-working and popular member of the diplomatic corps in New York and at the United Nations" before he faced the unproven allegations. He had said Ashe died of a heart attack.

Prosecutors said a billionaire Chinese businessman and others had funneled over $1 million to Ashe while he served as president of the 193-nation assembly from September 2013 to September 2014. The billionaire Chinese real estate maven, two diplomats and a humanitarian organization officer were among others charged in the case.

Ashe's attorney, Jeremy Schneider, called his client's death "a tragic loss for his family and the community."

Comments

Edwin Paciga • a day ago
Actually he was set to testify against Clinton in a US district court yesterday - all mainstream is reporting this "accident" without the proper context.
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JeffMomo • a day ago
The message is "Don't testify regarding Clinton corruption in an election cycle."
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Rufrignkidnme • 12 hours ago
"And a humanitarian organization" i.e. the Global Clinton Initiative. Add this guy to the long list of people who could have implicated the Clinton's in nefarious and criminal activity if they just hadn't died in horrible "accidents" prior to their testimony.
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Donnie Yen • 2 days ago
Believe this and you are eligible to buy, from Hillary, the Golden Gate Bridge. I am sure he had enemies.
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Paul Kersey • 3 days ago
Well THAT was "convenient"...has Obama ordered the Flags lowered yet?
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Resist_Tyranny • 9 hours ago
Add another murder to the Clinton Crime Cartel.
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Larua • 9 hours ago
no accidents to see here folks. out right murder.
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steveday72 • 10 hours ago
Let that be a lesson to Hillary Clinton's IT guy who plead the 5th. The Arkansas crime family is still racking up bodies.
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ElSid • 8 hours ago
Why did you leave out that he was set to testify against Hillary Clinton? Why does the mainstream media cover for Evil Hillary?
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EmpireCityRay • 3 days ago
Was it really an accident or did he make it so to avoid prosecution?! He might have not broken his bench record but he broke his neck, lol
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My Name EmpireCityRay • 18 hours ago
He was going to testify against Hillary.
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Alexxander Mitchell • an hour ago
The Democrat death cult claims another, when will they grow humanity?
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Airangel • 3 hours ago
He was going to testify against Clinton... Does he look like a barbell would fall and kill him? Puhleeze! No wonder the guy that set up her email server plead the 5th probably will end up missing! Dead bodies always pop up around the Clinton's!
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