Former U.S. Attorney General Thornburgh in hospital: family

[June 23, 2014]  (Reuters) - Richard Thornburgh, a former U.S. attorney general and two-term Pennsylvania governor, has been hospitalized in Pittsburgh, his family said on Sunday.

Thornburgh, 81, who served as U.S. attorney general under President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush, suffered a mild stroke on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported, citing Thornburgh's wife, Ginny Thornburgh.

"He is resting comfortably and receiving excellent care at UPMC Presbyterian," Thornburgh's family said in a statement released through the hospital. "He is awake, alert and looking forward to a full recovery."

A spokeswoman for UPMC Presbyterian declined to comment on the report of a stroke or Thornburgh's condition. The hospital is part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Thornburgh gained national attention as governor in March 1979 when the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, had a partial meltdown just months into his first term. He was re-elected and served until 1987.

After serving as U.S. attorney general, Thornburgh served as undersecretary general to the United Nations.

(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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