Montgomery County District Magistrate Judge Cathleen Rebar issued the ruling following a roughly four hour preliminary hearing held at the Montgomery County Courthouse.
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At yesterday’s preliminary hearing they went over evidence that her office slipped confidential information about a 2009 grand jury investigation Fina headed to a political operative, who handed it over to a reporter at the Daily News.
While cross-examining Montgomery County detective Paul Bradbury, Shargel said that if Kane really wanted to embarrass Fina, there was a faster way to do it than by leaking confidential information.
She also claimed during that press conference that she was not allowed to release those emails – which she characterized as pornographic, racist and skewering some religions – due to a cloak of grand jury secrecy.
No trial date has been set. Kane remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.
She is the primary lady elected lawyer basic in Pennsylvania, and she or he has referred to as out former legal professionals within the workplace and even a Supreme Courtroom justice in a probe of pornography circulated on state e mail. Peifer is named in the criminal complaint against Kane as one of two men who allegedly helped Kane gain access to grand jury information, but he is not charged.
Special agent David Peifer, in charge of special investigations for Kane’s office, testified he provided her with a copy of a transcript cited in the Daily News article months before it was published. She says she is innocent and has accused her enemies of prosecuting her to hide their involvement in a pornographic e-mail scandal that rocked the state last fall. Kane has said she plans to seek a second term. “I’m here to represent my client”, Shargel said, as Rebar attempted to rein him in with a reminder of the looser rules of evidence and lower burden of proof at a preliminary hearing. She did not comment on her way into court or on her way out, both times surrounded by bodyguards.
Despite the allegations against her, and calls from other Pennsylvania Democrats, Kane has also refused to resign her position as the case rumbles on.
Shortly after the charges were announced, Gov. Tom Wolf and other prominent Democrats called on her to step down.
Peifer said he left crucial information about the case – documents, statements and a memo – with Kane. A judge forwarded all charges to trial.
Shargel butted heads with Judge Rebar throughout the hearing, complaining that the defense team hadn’t had time to properly review the information that Bradbury referenced.
Most of Bradbury’s testimony focused on sworn testimony that Kane gave to the grand jury investigating the leaked information.
In retaliation, according to prosecutors, Kane made public documents that appeared to show Fina had dropped the ball on an investigation of alleged misuse of grant monies by a Philadelphia official of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
“This is absurd”, objected Henry.
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Mondesire wasn’t charged with a crime. Republican Ernie Preate Jr. resigned in 1995 and served a year in prison after pleading guilty to fraud related to a campaign contribution.
