HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s new attorney general spent his second day the job Thursday firing two top aides to his predecessor Kathleen Kane, including a former police chief convicted of contempt for snooping through emails about a grand jury investigation.
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Beemer, who was sworn in as attorney general on Tuesday, ended the employment of Patrick Reese, Kane’s former driver and security chief.
Duecker was named acting chief of staff by Kane in April 2015.
Due to the fact this is a personnel matter, the Office of Attorney General will not provide further comment at this time. The former Dunmore police chief pleaded not guilty to a contempt charge stemming from an investigation of his boss. Reese is appealing his conviction.
Kane, who went on a semi-holy war against employees who sent or received pornographic or racist emails in the Porngate scandal, reportedly refused to fire Duecker even after he was accused of sexual harassment by two female employees.
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Asked why Reese had not been fired before, Johnson said final decisions about discipline are made by the attorney general. Internal Affairs recommended Duecker’s dismissal, but Kane promoted him.
