We asked historian and columnist Bill Keisling “Does the PA Constitution specify that high elected officials can only be impeached and convicted if they have been found guilty in a court?”
He responded:
As it now stands under the PA constitution, there are three ways to remove an office holder.
• The first is automatic removal upon conviction of crime. Article VI Section 7 reads:
All civil officers shall hold their offices on the condition that they behave themselves well while in office, and shall be removed on conviction of misbehavior in office or of any infamous crime.
•The second is impeachment, which can occur before a jury trial, but does not preclude criminal trial or conviction after impeachment. Article VI Section 6 states:
The Governor and all other civil officers shall be liable to impeachment for any misbehavior in office, but judgment in such cases shall not extend further than to removal from office and disqualification to hold any office of trust or profit under this Commonwealth. The person accused, whether convicted or acquitted, shall nevertheless be liable to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.
An impeachment requires an action of two-thirds of the House of Representatives, followed by a trial and conviction of two-thirds of the Senate.
•The third means of removal is the one now being proposed for AG Kathleen Kane, that she’s now engaged in fighting.
It is apparently a Pennsylvania invention, added to the constitution in 1873. The last line of Article VI Section 7 reads:
All civil officers elected by the people, except the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, members of the General Assembly and judges of the courts of record, shall be removed by the Governor for reasonable cause, after due notice and full hearing, on the address of two- thirds of the Senate.
You’ll notice that this last method demands “full hearing.”
What’s happening with Kane is particularly pernicious in that they are attempting to forego a “full hearing,” and instead substitute one limited to the much smaller, sole issue of her law license.
Presumably a full senate trial of impeachment would allow all matters to be discussed.
The question becomes: has the unusual means proposed to remove Kane from office been deliberately concocted to limit issues that can be introduced, such as public corruption, the machinations of her enemies, or pornographic emails?
Bill K
ps – you can publish this, if you think it helps readers.
I do think they are terrified of what might come out in an open trial, which is why I hope she waits for a full, public trial, with media and observers present.
I am still trying to understand how deeply the Sandusky issue is tied into all of this. 2 DAs refuse to prosecute him, stating there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him of pedophilia, and now we’re seeing how many judges, attorney’s and other courthouse personnel were involved in a pornography ring that included child porn. It seems a bit too coincidental to not be related. So I wonder what Sandusky hopes to gain from his new motion before the court and will it help or harm Kane.
She tried to stop the criminal prosecution of corrupt political allies (same party) in Philly claiming it was a racism motivated political witch hunt, the prosecutions continued anyway and they got convicted. She leaked confidential grand jury info out of political revenge and lied about it under oath at least twice (her office is the only place the leak could have come from) basically to put it simply as the states attorney she tried to protect corrupt allies and violated the law out of revenge and to cover up her actions… the governor (also a dem) tried to get her to resign but she is refusing and she no longer has a License to practice law.
She being framed by crooked politicians cheating and getting even , u got to be stupid not to see what’s going on , she stepped on some toes and its payback time obviously
She has the dirt on them that she would bring out in a full trial. She needs to stay strong.
They thought she’d fold and just fade away… She has more ammo, they should be afraid, very afraid.
A Federal Investigation needs to be conducted for an unbiased outcome!
Old school judges n politicans got caught cheating and want it pushed under the table , hope it all comes out in trial and they all get caught
They can’t even pass a budget, let alone an impeachment trial.
A Federal Investigation needs to take place for an unbiased outcome on everything! Between all the allegations and jobs lost due to the scandalous emails,and the Kane criminal allegations ,everyone who holds decision authority is viewed as being biased by the citizens of the Commonwealth. This whole situation is a scene from a Laurel and Hardy show!!!!!!!! Really!
Call it what you like it’s still ‘The good old boys witchhunt’
She has way too much on these fools and if they try to hang her she will retaliate and expose them all.
‘They can’t or they themselves will also have to go down with the ship.
It seems that if you’re a democrat, you can get away with just about anything.
I do think That there are some that do not want all the rocks turned over and what is hidden underneath to come crawling out…She has done a fantastic job and is continuing to do so, despite all that they try to do…..The good old boys are after her, Payback from some cronies from Corbetts tenure…
It been a railroad job from the beginning.
The corrupt good old boy network didn’t like being held accountable for their inappropriate
behavior. So they’ve joined with republicans to attack the person for calling them to task.The usual corrupt political maneuvering.
Shameful, cowardly and corrupt.Count DA Williams a in their number.Can only wonder what they promised him?
Re: “Old Boys Network” filed in GENERAL OAG QUESTIONS November 11, 2015
November 11, 2015 7:42am
“Kane, the first woman and Democrat elected to the position of Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor, has dismissed the case as a backlash over her challenge to what she calls the old-boys’ network in Pennsylvania law enforcement.” LNP, Attorney General Kane faces trial on more charges, by the Associated Press on November 11, 2015.”
Back in 1998 I had a meeting with an NSA (National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, Md) operative in a parking lot of a former car dealer in York, PA. I had just attended a job fair and he approached me as I was about to get into my car. He introduced himself as being from the NSA and I questioned him about why they would not leave me alone. His response was “It is not US (NSA) it’s the Good Ole Boys”. I also have a huge problem with modified, stolen, and planted documents. We parted ways in an amicable fashion.
Stan J. Caterbone Advanced Media Group
717-669-2163
http://www.amgglobalentertainmentgroup.com
It been a railroad job from the beginning. The corrupt good old boy network didn’t like being held accountable for their inappropriate behavior. So they’ve joined with Republicans to attack the person for calling them to task. The usual corrupt political maneuvering.
Shameful,cowardly and corrupt.Count DA Williams a in their number. Can only wonder what they promised him?
Totally agreed, if you don’t play their way they find a way to get rid of you, via lies.
She did lie herself. Which was stupid, but all those guys lie, and others look the other way.
Put her on the stand and let her name all the people involved in porngate, GJ leaks, etc. so everyone will hear the same message.
Here we go playing God with someone’s career. How about canning the creepy gents she has records on as well. Aren’t politics in PA & DC honorable?
She is the corrupt official.
I honestly think she has mental health issues.
She plays games with evidence. Only releasing certain emails as she gets in trouble. It’s a tit for tat. She is a real head case.