Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane has announced that she will resign as Attorney General on Wednesday, August 17, following her conviction this week on two felony counts of perjury and seven misdemeanor counts of abusing her power as AG.
Advertisement
Bruce Beemer would take over the beleaguered attorney general’s office after two years of turmoil, infighting and scandal under Kane.
Mr. Beemer’s appointment will have to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the GOP-controlled state Senate.
Kathleen Kane’s resignation as state attorney general should not be the last act in the drama that has so roiled the state government and court system. Specifically, concerning documents in the leak of grand jury information that he said Kathleen Kane did not see, but documents that helped convict her. Castor says, it’s possible that Morrow could be prosecuted by his office or by the victor in the November election for Attorney General.
He admitted in court that he previously lied during several grand jury hearings at which he testified Kane never saw the documents that she is now convicted of leaking to reporters.
Kane faces charges of perjury, obstructing administration of law, abuse of office and false swearing in connection with allegations she orchestrated the illegal disclosure of confidential investigative information and secret grand jury information to the media and then engaged in acts created to hide and cover up her alleged conduct.
“We’ve been exploring conduct outside of her criminal conduct”, Stephens said.
They include her twin sister, her cousin, a chief of staff who was the target of sexual harassment complaints and a supervisory special agent who is appealing a contempt of court conviction for snooping on the investigation into Kane.
Kane, 50, is the first Democrat elected to the office, though leaders in both parties welcomed her exit.
In the meantime, First Deputy Attorney General Bruce Castor will take the oath privately today to become the acting attorney general.
Castor is Kane’s top deputy and the next in line to succeed the embattled official.
Kane says she doesn’t know what’s next, but she’s looking forward to spending time with her children and she has no regrets. Kane finally heeded the calls to leave her position as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General after a jury found her guilty of “unprecedented” criminal charges and misconduct.
Kane, a Democrat, was elected to office in 2012 and was Pennsylvania’s first elected female attorney general.
Shortly after taking office, Kane shut down a case built around a sting operation in which an undercover informant bribed state lawmakers.
Advertisement
Bruised by bad publicity, Kane retaliated by having her office leak information about a 2009 investigation targeting the late J. Whyatt Mondesire, former head of the Philadelphia NAACP, which ended without charges. Defense attorney Gerald Shargel informed the waiting media outside the courthouse, that the verdict against his client was a “crushing blow”. Castor had said he would not serve as a rubber-stamp for Kane’s policies and that he would work to restore the integrity of the office.
