The potential witness list in the perjury trial of Pennsylvania’s attorney general includes prosecutors, judges, journalists and former top aides to the embattled office holder.
Advertisement
State Attorney General Kathleen Kane has arrived at Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown today in the role of defendant for the scheduled start of her criminal trial. Opening statements are set for Tuesday. Kane is now facing charges that she illegally leaked grand jury information to harm a political rival.
The fate of Pennsylvania’s attorney general will soon be in the hands of 12 of her constituents.
Kane nonetheless appeared confident seated at the defense table Monday beside a five-person legal team led by NY trial lawyer Gerald Shargel, perhaps best known for winning an acquittal for mob boss John Gotti.
“Prosecutors allege in court documents that Kane directed the release to embarrass former state prosecutors Frank Fina and Marc Costanzo, whom she blamed for providing information for a March 2014 article in The Philadelphia Inquirer that blamed Kane for ending a bribery probe against city Democrats”.
“Last week, Kane filed a last-minute motion to the state Supreme Court asking to have the charges against her dismissed”.
Kane, 50, faces charges including perjury, obstruction, and official oppression.
Kane lost her law license as a result of her felony arrest, but she remains on the job as attorney general as she winds down her four-year term, which expires in January, The Associated Press reported.
Kane has hired prominent lawyers to defend her: first, Bill Clinton confidante Lanny Davis and now, NY mob lawyer Gerald Shargel.
“You can arrest me two times, you can arrest me 10 times”. Kane has said she hasn’t decided whether she will testify. “But I will not stop until the truth comes out, and I will not stop until the system operates the way it’s supposed to”.
Advertisement
The charges Kane is facing, though, do not come from the leak itself, but come from what prosecutors say was her attempt to cover up the scheme. And she denied that she was sworn to secrecy about those prior investigations, according to the arrest warrant. It will depend where things stand at trial, she said. For the protection of AP and its licensors, content may not be copied, altered or redistributed in any form. Please see our terms of service for more information.
