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Hillary Hostage Suspect Claims Priest Abuse

Long-troubled man faced divorce, domestic violence charges

By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 1, 2007 6:08 AM CST
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(Newser) – Leeland Eisenberg's problems began long before he seized five hostages yesterday in a New Hampshire campaign office of Hillary Clinton. In 2002, Eisenberg filed a lawsuit charging that a Catholic priest had sexually abused him when he was 21 years old, homeless, and emotionally vulnerable, ABC News reports. The accused priest has since been defrocked amid multiple abuse allegations.

Eisenberg said he was "living in abandoned cars" in a Massachusetts junk yard when he met the predator priest, after a traumatic childhood in which his mother's death had left him at the hands of his violent, alcoholic father. Eisenberg's more recent woes include pending domestic abuse charges from his wife, who filed for divorce four days ago.

SWAT team members take Leeland Eisenberg of Rochester into custody after a nearly six hour hostage and standoff situation at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H. on Friday, Nov. 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Foster's Daily Democrat, Craig Osborne)
SWAT team members take Leeland Eisenberg of Rochester into custody after a nearly six hour hostage and standoff situation at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H. on Friday, Nov. 30,...   (Associated Press)
Rochester, N.H. SWAT team members take up positions during a five hour hostage and standoff situation at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester on Friday, Nov. 30 2007. (AP Photo/Foster's Daily Democrat, Craig Osborne)
Rochester, N.H. SWAT team members take up positions during a five hour hostage and standoff situation at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester on Friday, Nov. 30 2007. (AP Photo/Foster's Daily...   (Associated Press)
Leeland Eisenberg is seen in this 2007 photo in Rochester, N.H. A law enforcement official confirmed that Leeland Eisenberg was the man wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest who walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office Friday, Nov. 30. 2007, took several hostages...
Leeland Eisenberg is seen in this 2007 photo in Rochester, N.H. A law enforcement official confirmed that Leeland Eisenberg was the man wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest who walked...   (Associated Press)
SWAT team members take Leeland Eisenberg of Rochester into custody after a nearly six hour hostage and standoff situation at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H. on Friday, Nov. 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Foster's Daily Democrat, Craig Osborne)
SWAT team members take Leeland Eisenberg of Rochester into custody after a nearly six hour hostage and standoff situation at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H. on Friday, Nov. 30,...   (Associated Press)
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Democratic candidates set aside rivalries, rally behind Clinton during hostage crisis
Boston Globe

Eisenberg phones CNN while holding hostages, pleas for mental health care
CNN

US

 
Hillary Clinton • New Hampshire • priest • priest sex abuse • Leeland Eisenberg • hostage

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