“I drove to Scranton, and I plugged into my computer to show to the Attorney General… and my computer got a virus”.
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Kane, 50, a first-term Democrat and the first woman ever to be elected to the state post, faces a possible maximum sentence of 14 to 28 years in state prison on felony charges of perjury and misdemeanor charges of obstructing administration of law, official oppression, false swearing and conspiracy.
Wednesday was Kane’s last day in office, leaving it to be run by recent Kane hire Bruce L. Castor Jr., who had emerged as a central figure in the Bill Cosby sex assault case and who lacked support from Wolf or top state lawmakers.
“I still haven’t gotten a version that I can understand”, he said.
Bruce Beemer, who has served as state inspector general for a little over a month, is no stranger to the attorney general’s office.
Kane, through her lawyer, also surrendered her passport at the county Clerk of Courts Office on Tuesday.
After Kane’s conviction, the judge ordered she surrender the passport by noon Tuesday as a condition of the own recognizance bail that will allow Kane to remain free while awaiting sentencing. This is shocking, because Kathleen Kane’s campaign message was, “A prosecutor, not a politician”.
Most importantly, however, Stephens believes it’s critical that the public be made aware of “some pretty serious misconduct” his investigation has uncovered “outside the criminal conduct” revealed at Kane’s trial. Bruce Castor, the first deputy attorney general, is serving as acting attorney general.
Kane, 50, was convicted Monday of two counts of perjury and related violations stemming from her role in leaking once-secret grand jury information to embarrass a personal and professional rival.
It also is awaiting a report from a law firm on its review of millions of internal emails, a contract signed by Kane after she failed to make good on a promise to release all the pornographic or offensive emails from the agency’s servers.
But Stephens said Friday his probe is bringing forth new information on subjects like Kane’s protection or persecution of certain OAG employees, depending on whether or not they were perceived to be on her “team”.
“We’re finding a pervasive pattern where if you’re in her inner circle, she will do anything in her power to protect you – you can do no wrong”, Stephens said Friday. The oath compelled Kane to maintain the secrecy of all matters occurring before past and present statewide grand juries, prosecutors alleged.
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Efforts to reach Kane were unsuccessful.
