The truth, as bluntly laid out by Montgomery County prosecutors, was much simpler than that.
Advertisement
“She did it for revenge”, prosecutor Michelle Henry told the jury.
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.
Kane, 50, was the first woman and first Democrat elected to the office, winning a landslide election in 2012 that vaulted her to rising-star status from obscurity as a former Lackawanna County staff prosecutor. Text messages and phone records show frequent interactions among them on key days in the prosecution’s timeline: when the documents changed hands, when the Philadelphia Daily News article appeared and when a grand jury started to investigate the leak.
On Monday, a Montgomery County jury found her guilty on all counts involving a grand jury leak created to embarrass an enemy. 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.
“We have been denied the opportunity to mount a full defense”, defense lawyer Gerald Shargel said.
Kane did not take the stand during the trial. Critics had called for her to step down right away.
Kane faces jail time. But legislators made it clear Monday night that if she did not step down before that time, they would take steps to remove her from office.
By the law, the first deputy attorney becomes acting attorney general should the office becomes vacant.
Whatever the trial’s outcome, her 800-person agency has been in turmoil for the past two years, plagued by a revolving door of top managers; a special investigation of the leak that led up to the boss; and the deployment of Kane’s driver to snoop through office emails and keep tabs on who was cooperating. The story claimed that Kane didn’t want lawmakers within her own party exposed for corruption.
According to Kane, a campaign of “political retribution had been launched” at her – the leak accusations were just another string of lies being spawn against her by enemies.
Gov. Tom Wolf said the charges were “unbecoming of the Commonwealth’s top law enforcement officer”.
“I do not believe Kathleen Kane should be Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania”. The governor’s office said Kane could remain in office if convicted while she appeals. Prosecutors said Kane believed Fina was responsible for leaking the story to the press.
Advertisement
She had not held an elected position before then. In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully for attorney general. If Kane doesn’t have enough shame to have stepped down already, why leave now? The employees in her office, many longtime, faithful public servants, suffered as well, as Kane conspired against her enemies. What are the consequences for Kathleen Kane?
