Bur for weirdness, you could start with the fact that Kane’s twin sister, Ellen Granahan, was there and was, at times, swarmed by photographers thinking she was the attorney general.
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Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s twin sister walks towards the courtroom ahead of Kane and her security detail at the Montgomery County Court House in Norristown Monday, August 24, 2015.
Kane, who has previously denied wrongdoing, made no comments as she left the hearing Monday.
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.
According to prosecutors, Kane increasingly focused on lawyers who challenged her decisions, including career prosecutor Frank Fina, who revived a statehouse corruption case after moving to the Philadelphia district attorney’s office. “I think a little more of the story evolved today, a little too slow for my taste, but we’re looking forward to a trial”, Shargel said.
No trial date has been set.
Gerald Shargel, Kane’s attorney, said after the hearing that he did not expect to have the case thrown out during the preliminary hearing.
Kane has said releasing the pornographic emails exchanged by office employees is crucial to her defense strategy, but her office said last week it has concerns disclosing them could be perceived as retaliating against witnesses in the criminal case against her. “But, I’m not going to try the case in the media”.
Matt Rourke/AP Kane is seen after attending her preliminary hearing during which a judge ordered her to stand trial. Steele declined to say whether Peifer testified under a grant of immunity.
Peifer also testified that he had a copy of a memo related to a confidential case emailed to her last summer.
When an investigation was launched into Kane’s behavior it is claimed she then asked close confidante and former police chief Patrick Reese to spy for her. Peifer is described in the criminal complaint as one of Kane’s most “trusted confidents”. Shargel told Rebar that Kane could have simply revealed that Fina allegedly had pornographic emails on his computer at the Attorney General’s Office. Kane remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Kane is expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
Reading a statement, she alleged she was targeted due to a string of “filthy” emails uncovered by her office while reviewing the handling of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse case by her predecessor as attorney general, Tom Corbett. Beemer said he was taken aback by Kane’s position.
Bradbury said investigators had not checked for fingerprints.
Mr. Shargel wanted to question Montgomery County Detective Paul Bradbury about a March 16, 2014, story in the Philadelphia Inquirer that revealed Ms. Kane halted a case against state legislators caught taking bribes. But her stock began to fall through a series of political dramas.Kane and her prosecutors have painted wildly different pictures of the circumstances that led to the charges.
“This is absurd”, objected Henry.
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Rebar upheld the prosecution’s objection.
