Stephen Poludniak

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Stephen E. Poludniak was an attorney who was convicted, with Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand, of attempting to blackmail United States Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri during his 1980 re-election bid.

Weigand, who was Eagleton's niece, and Poludniak, who was Weigand's attorney, threatened to go public with a false claim that Eagleton was bisexual unless Eagleton paid $220,000 for Weigand's minority interest in a family business.

Eagleton reported Poludniak and Weigand to authorities and they were prosecuted. Both Poludniak and Weigand plead guilty. Poludniak was sentenced to prison. Eagleton won re-election to the United States Senate in the 1980 election.

Eagleton told reporters that the extorted money was to be turned over to the Church of Scientology.