The Scranton Times-Tribune was one of the early newspapers to editorially call for the resignation of Attorney Genera Kathleen Kane. This was somewhat surprising since Kane comes from the Scranton area.
Now they, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, a Pittsburgh paper and local LNP are in the quandary of having taking sides at the outset and yet Kane may remain in office through her term and be acquitted by a jury.
So some of these newspapers are ‘piling it on’. Even LNP has twice editorialized with the same request.
Let’s examine today’s report in the Times- Leader which is headed “AG Kane’s release of complaint against Supreme Court justice mirrors leaks in her case.”
The first two paragraphs are as follows:
“She decries leaks of information regarding criminal charges and licensing action against her, yet state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane last week eagerly released information of allegations against a state Supreme Court justice.
“The double standard is ‘disingenuous,’ said one attorney, while another sees it as an ill-advised attempt to embarrass authorities involved in the contentious legal battle that threatens to ruin Ms. Kane’s political career and possibly send her to prison.”
But if a reader has the patience to read further into the article, they discover:
“Rules of the Judicial Conduct Board, which investigates judges, and the Disciplinary Board of the State Supreme Court, which investigates attorneys, require complaints be kept confidential except under limited circumstances. [Ms. Kane’s spokesman Chuck Ardo] said the rules do not apply to people initiating the complaint, however.”
So it turns out that Kane has not violated any ethics or statutes.
The media should practice prudence before jumping to conclusions.
And they certainly should not purposefully distort the news to try to justify their stances and to alter developments in cases. We in Lancaster experienced that with the run up to the Convention Center.
It is the Times-Tribune’s ethics that are in question.
Bias against a Democrat in Pennsylvania, that is a little out of character for the Media as they are usually bias FOR the Democrats……. How’s it feel when the shoe is on the other foot ?