She squandered her early popularity, feuded with rivals and aides, and ultimately was undone by what prosecutors portrayed as a personal vendetta for her critics and perceived enemies.
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Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who first called for Kane to resign when she was charged a year ago, said in a statement shortly after the verdict that Kane needed “to do what is right”.
The case was first accepted in April, 2015, after the grand jury dealing with Kane’s case found that her testimony was “riddled with inconsistencies”, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
On Tuesday, Wolf called Kane’s situation “unfortunate”. Kane’s term would have been over this January. The Senate would have to approve his pick.
Kane has lost her law license over the charges and is not seeking reelection, but under Pennsylvania law she could remain in office as the appeals process plays out. Maybe Kane thought she had been elected judge instead of prosecutor, deciding which laws she would enforce and which she would casually ignore.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Henry said that “there were great men and women” who work in Kane’s office and that “they have had to suffer through what this defendant has done”.
Kane maintained her innocence after being arrested and arraigned, stating that she was “very disappointed” in the charges that were filed and that she would vigorously defend herself. Kane was convicted of perjury and conspiracy charges.
Democrat Kane was elected in 2012.
She staunchly described the charges as payback for her efforts to take on an “old-boys network” in state government that traded offensive, mildly pornographic emails. “We have rules that we have to abide by and there are no exceptions to that”, prosecutor Kevin Steele said, adding that the prosecution team were vying for prison time for Kane.
Defence lawyer Seth Farber, in closing arguments Monday, said Morrow and King would “say whatever they need to in order to protect themselves”.
“This is war”, Kane wrote in an email, talking about her retaliation plans.
An investigator Kane appointed also found that politics played no role in the Sandusky case.
The release of some emails caused several officials, including two state Supreme Court justices, to lose their jobs in a scandal dubbed Porngate.
Prosecutors said Kane was incensed by a 2014 newspaper article that said she had shut down a corruption investigation into Philadelphia officials.
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Once sitting as attorney general, Kane again made headlines when she announced – to much fanfare with the Constitution Center in Philly as a backdrop – that her office would not defend the state’s Defense of Marriage Act against a lawsuit brought by those looking to overturn it.
