Russo says wife filed PFA as leverage in custody battle
WAYNESBURG 鈥� Days after the estranged wife of Greene County District Attorney David Russo filed a protection-from-abuse order against him, Russo disputed her claims and accused her of filing a the order as leverage in the couple蘑菇视频 apparent custody battle over their children.
Jana Russo was granted the temporary PFA on Nov. 29 against her husband, after claiming he has a history of abusive behavior when intoxicated and accusing him of intimidating her with firearms at their Jackson Township home.
David Russo was served on Nov. 30 and was required to relinquish more than a dozen weapons until a hearing can be held on Dec. 13.
The PFA claims David Russo has a history of heavy drinking on weekends, which allegedly led to abusive behavior of Jana Russo and their children.
She claims that the situation became particularly bad Oct. 10 when Russo was 鈥渟creaming and looking for me all through the house鈥� while also calling her a 鈥�(expletive) whore,鈥� prompting her to lock herself in a bedroom with her son.
After that incident, Jana Russo began taking their children to stay with the couple蘑菇视频 oldest son on weekends. Jana Russo also requested that son, who was not identified, be included in the PFA because she and the other children have been staying with him at his Carmichaels area home since Nov. 2.
鈥淚 was afraid and I left for safety with the children later that night after he passed out and did not return,鈥� she wrote in the PFA. 鈥淚 want him to leave us alone.鈥�
It蘑菇视频 not known what prompted Jana Russo to request the PFA this week nearly a month after the most recent incident.
President Judge Lou Dayich granted the temporary PFA order and set a hearing on the matter for 9:30 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Greene County Courthouse. David Russo was ordered not to have any contact or visitation with his children until after the hearing.
The PFA alleges Russo often intimidated his wife with firearms by leaving a handgun on a workbench, along with another time in which he fired a gun into the bushes outside while she was near him.
The order temporarily prohibits Russo from possessing firearms, and court documents indicated that more than a dozen guns were to be seized. The list of weapons included two handguns, one or two AR-15 semi-automatic rifles and 10 to 15 hunting rifles.
Jana Russo also claims she was not permitted to speak to family for years, and that Russo threatened to beat their two boys after supposedly hearing one of them use profanity. She said he also threatened to strike her in August, but was pulled away by their son.
鈥淗e screams at me and the kids 鈥� having screaming fits,鈥� she wrote in the PFA. 鈥淲e stopped having family dinners because he would scream at us. He would blame me for everything.鈥�
She is seeking custody of the couple蘑菇视频 four minor children, whose names were redacted in the PFA documents. David Russo must also pay temporary child support to Jana Russo, along with legal fees.
Jana Russo apparently filed a PFA against her husband about 15 years ago in Washington County, claiming he slapped her in the face, punched her in the head and choked her.
On Dec. 1, David Russo released a statement through a spokesman accusing Jana Russo of fabricating an 鈥渆laborate and pejorative鈥� PFA.
David Russo said his wife left their Jackson Township home 鈥渨ithout issue鈥� Oct. 29, but over the next three weeks he was 鈥渋ncapacitated with a severe case鈥� of COVID-19 that required medical care at several hospitals in the area.
During that time, David Russo claims his wife emailed him a custody order for their four minor children, which he said he refused until he could 鈥渦nderstand the particulars鈥� upon recovering from his illness.
鈥淚 am saddened and disheartened that a woman that I have known most of my adult life would have stooped so low as to attempt to destroy my career in order to garnish financial enrichment that which I would have provided anyway,鈥� he said in the written statement.
State police were notified of the PFA, but no charges have been filed and it was not known if the state Attorney General蘑菇视频 office was looking into the matter. A spokeswoman at the AG蘑菇视频 office in Harrisburg did not respond on Dec. 2 to an email requesting comment on the situation.
鈥淚 cannot and will not apologize for my wife蘑菇视频 vulgar behavior,鈥� Russo said in the statement. 鈥淗owever I do apologize for having been forced to publicly expose the greed and contempt of a woman that I would have done anything for.鈥�
Jana Russo also apparently filed a PFA against her husband about 15 years ago in Washington County, claiming he slapped her in the face, punched her in the head and choked her.
Russo, 44, is serving his first term as district attorney after winning in 2019 as a Republican candidate, narrowly defeating Democrat Jessica Phillips and write-in candidate Patrick Fitch in a three-way race. He replaced longtime district attorney Marjorie Fox, who retired in January 2020.