GOP prosecutor with Hershey ties enters Attorney General's race

There will be a race after all for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania attorney general.

The entry of Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed into the race comes just days after Montgomery County state Sen. John Rafferty announced his intention to run.

Freed, 41, said he would bring 14 years of experience as a prosecutor protecting Pennsylvania families, businesses and taxpayers. He pledged to work to stop Internet predators, elder abuse and consumer scams, drug crimes and white collar corruption.

The attorney general's civil investigation of the multi-billion Hershey Trust Co. may pose an issue for Freed, whose father-in-law,  LeRoy Zimmerman, was until last month was the Hershey board chairman.

Zimmerman, the state's first elected attorney general, served on the board amid tumultuous years and the probe is examining transactions that occurred under his leadership.  A Hershey spokeswoman told the Inquirer Zimmerman's resignation was not related to the attorney general's probe.

Freed told the Patriot-News of Harrisburg the probe may well be over by the time the new attorney general takes over in 2013 and even if it's not, since his father-in-law is no longer on the board, there would be no conflict.

He said if issues remain regarding Zimmerman's conduct, he would recuse himself and hand the case over to a special prosecutor.

"I will not run away from the fact that Roy Zimmerman is my father-in-law. I am proud that Roy Zimmerman is my father-in-law, and I think he has done wonderful things for this commonwealth and this region," Freed told the Patriot-News.

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