Lycoming County District Attorney Tom Marino is stepping down from his role effective Friday "due to a combination of health reasons," a letter he wrote to county residents and released this week said.
The health reasons were not specified, but Marino has beaten kidney cancer several times.
Marino, 74, a former U.S. congressman is in his second stint as the county's top law enforcement officer.
First Assistant District Attorney Martin L. Wade will succeed him, the letter said. State law puts first assistants automatically first in line to succeed district attorneys who die or resign during their terms in office.
Political career
Marino worked in manufacturing before returning to college at 30 years old.
A 1988 graduate of Dickinson School of Law, Marino first served as DA from 1992 until 2002, when President George W. Bush appointed him U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
He resigned that job in October 2007, saying he was pursuing a private-sector job. At the time, he also considered himself a friend of Dunmore businessman Louis DeNaples and served as a reference for DeNaples' application to run the Mount Airy Casino Resort. DeNaples later hired him as a $249,999-a-year lawyer representing several of his companies.
The DeNaples tie came up during Marino's 2010 run for Congress, but failed to prevent the Republican former prosecutor from defeating incumbent Democrat Chris Carney for the 10th Congressional District seat. Marino was re-elected in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
He and former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta earned headlines in 2016 for being early supporters of Donald Trump's first presidential campaign, a move seen as controversial even among some conservative and business groups at the time. Trump referred to them as "Thunder and Lightning," though he never who was Thunder and who was Lightning.
In 2017, during his first term, President Trump nominated Marino to serve as his national "drug czar." Marino withdrew from the nomination after news reports spotlighted a 2016 bill he co-sponsored that "reportedly neutered federal efforts to stop opioid manufacturers flooding the market with the addictive painkillers," the BBC reported.
In 2018, he won a fifth term representing the 12th Congressional District, but resigned to take a job in the private sector in January 2019, not long after he was sworn in.
Marino ran again for Lycoming district attorney in 2023 and won. The office is up for election next year.
'A mix of sadness and gratitude'
In the letter, Marino reflected on his career in the letter announcing his resignation from the DA's office, saying he made the announcement "with a mix of sadness and gratitude."
"I am reminded of the opportunities I've had to serve this great community," he said, adding that he "worked tirelessly to uphold justice and protect the citizens of this county."
"While it's hard to leave behind a job I love, I take comfort in knowing that I have an exceptional staff who will continue to serve this county with dedication and excellence," Marino said.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of Lycoming County for entrusting me with this position. It has been an honor to serve as your District Attorney, and I will truly miss this job."
"I am confident that my successor, Martin Wade, will lead the office with integrity and commitment," Marino wrote. "I have every confidence that the county will be in good hands under his leadership."
