In 2015, Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) wrote a letter supporting a judge who was sentenced for beating his wife. This weekend, that judge’s wife was murdered, and he has been arrested as a suspect. Fudge is considered to be a favorite to challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for the role of speaker of the House of Representatives.
In 2014, Lance Mason, a former Cuyahoga County judge in Ohio, punched his wife, Aisha Fraser, 20 times and slammed her head against the dashboard of his car while their children watched. She ended up with a broken bone in her skull, while he ended up pleading guilty and spending nine months in prison.
On Saturday, his wife’s sister called the police, saying that her brother-in-law had murdered her sister. Mason tried to flee the scene, but crashed his car into a police vehicle. The police officer in that vehicle was sent to the hospital with serious injuries.
Mason has been charged with felonious assault for the crash. The murder is still being investigated, so no charges have been pressed in that case so far, but Fraser’s death has been ruled a homicide.
Mason was employed by the city of Cleveland as Minority Business Development Administrator at the time of the murder. The city has since terminated his employment.
WOIO-TV published a letter it had obtained from Fudge to the county prosecutor’s office in support of Mason after his assault charge in 2015.
“This letter of support, on behalf of Lance T. Mason, comes as a result of more than 20 years of friendship,” she wrote.
In the letter, Fudge called Mason’s actions “out of character and totally contrary to everything I know about him.” She commended Mason for “recognizing that he needed help” and entering counseling.
“The Lance T. Mason I know,” she concluded, “is a kind, intelligent man and loyal friend. The Lance T. Mason I know is an advocate for the people of his community. Whether as a County Prosecutor, State Senator or Common Pleas Judge. He is well respected and well liked.