By Robert Field
First Deputy Attorney General Bruce Beemer is challenging Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s hiring of outside lawyers to investigate a government e-mail scandal, according to an Pittsburgh Post-Gazette / AP report.
Beemer previously was chief of staff to former Attorney General Linda Kelly. As a well meaning but perhaps a colossal act of naivety, he was invited to stay on as First Deputy by the relatively inexperienced Kane in order to provide a smooth transition.
Beemer has written a five-page letter to Sen. Lisa Baker, Republican, alleging that the October suspension of Kane’s law license by the state Supreme Court should have prevented Kane from appointing a special prosecutor to lead the probe.
He also questions whether secrecy laws may have been violated by Kane by turning over thousands of e-mails to the special investigator.
It was recently disclosed that two of the current sitting Democrat justices, in addition to Republican justices, were receiving racist and inappropriate e-mails.
The revelations appear to be not so much about party membership as being part of the so called ‘ole boys club’ that has caused Pennsylvania government to be widely rated as one of the most corrupt in the nation.
E-mail scandals may seem like small potatoes, but so was the Watergate break-in during early reports.
We certainly don’t want any independent investigations, do we? Given the systemic corruption in Pennsylvania’s government and its judiciary system, who knows where it may lead?
An independent investigation is the only way to avoid appearance of impropriety.
Time to clean up PA. A truly independent investigation should be welcomed by all, unless someone has something to hide.
Time for Feds to get involved.
Amen. Time will tell. There’s more to this.
So as good and just minded Americans why don’t we get to the bottom of all these things once and for all, maybe we then can stop all the excuse making that is going on . After all don’t we want honesty in the Gov.
Hiding behind all this Bull is just that BULL lets get to the truth and let the chips fall where they may. You do want to be governed by honest people right,or could it be that some aren’t worried so much about the TRUTH.Truthfulness has to start some where.
Perhaps there are others from Cumberland County who should be investigated a little closer than they presently are? Other names are gradually surfacing. The corruption, nor its origin, is strictly confined to Montgomery County. Somes issues have extreme relevance, carrying back in time- to the Corbett Administration and before.
An investigation by a truly neutral party is a must for this state to once again have any faith in its judicial system — and ridding itself of the dominating good-old boy, we take care of our own system that has prevailed for years!
RealReporting keeps skirting the issue which is simply this: do we want soemone to hold the office who obviously has no integrity. RealReporting won’t respond to that because to say the poeple want her in office when she intentionally violated the law is a complete lie. Why on Earth would anyone want someone who intentionally committed crimes to hold the office of attorney general?
EDITOR: Why is it so difficult for some people to understand that being accused of something does not make you guilty o it.
She can be tried by a jury of her peers and proven innocent or guilty.
She can impeached by the Assembly and tried by the senate and found innocent or guilty.
Neither has taken place. And until it does, the presumption under the law must be that she is innocent.W
The depths of the CORRUPTION should be increasingly evident to the PUBLIC about now. Why should there not be an independent INVESTIGATION? The same reason Penn State (i.e.; Jerry Sandusky), and other INSTITUTIONS, and Agencies desperately want to AVOID outside involvment in what they consider to be internal ‘affairs’.
It is much easier to perform their own DAMAGE CONTROL in order to keep other insidious and pervasive ( INAPPROPRIATENESS), as the Government calls it, and the corrupt influence of DARK MONEY and the GOOD OLD BOY network hidden from the PUBLICS VIEW.
The ostrich (head in the sand) approach to investigating one’s own deficiences and liabilites -seldom uncovers the TRUTH, and perhaps these birds should now consider leaving their roost entirely and starting to run, as rest assured it is becoming increasingly obvious, they certainly don’t know how to fly. Fortunately, the Pennsylvania State Judicial System (if an indepedent investigation is allowed to proceed) -should evenutally come under the scrutiny of the Federal Government and the PUBLIC at large.
Perhaps then, citizens may see a new and clean slate established for recovery from the ABUSES they have frequently and often been subjected to. Possibly the TRANSPARENCY in GOVERNMENT so often promised to us from our ELECTED OFFICIALS will become a REALITY.
Every post by RealReporting is completely opposite of the posts of mainstream media that were reported by non-affiliated newspaper reporters from Pennsylvania. They were present in the courtrooms and personally read public court filings…. and RealReporting’s posts make it look like everyone but Kathleen Kane is lying. That is a clear image of narcissism. No wonder Democrats and Republicans are equally tired of RealReporting and its intentional misleading of the public.
EDITOR: Bill Keisling attended the hearings. if you bothered to read his articles, you would have noted his coverage and actual quotations from the hearings were far more extensive that can be found elsewhere in the media.
Also, our audience is growing rapidly.
Frankly, our credentials – Keisling, Tsukerman, Cohen, Miller and yours truly – are simply far better than the general media. Keisling is a well read and highly respected historian, Tsukerman an award winning movie director and a native Russian, Cohen a successful author and movie director, Miller a a prominent county elected official form Western Pennsylvania and you can read me under “About us.
Tragically, compensation is so low for mass media reporters and editors that the best have to leave the industry to earn a decent living.
Step back Deputy to ensure an objective 3rd party conducts the investigation
The point is simple… She has not been found guilty of ANYTHING! What you hear in soundbytes of news are just that. Their reportiing at Real Reporting is above board and agrees with what an awful lot of people on the inside seem to know.
By the way, how do you feel about the statements of Judge Eakin I mentioned earlier? If you were either a prosecutor or a criminal defense lawyer, you would understand that all of these filings and a presence in the courtroom didn’t gave an accurate picture of anything.
A baby DA could get an indictment on a turtle. It’s all skewed to his point of view. “Narcissism?” where does that come from?
The Deputy General is on the Bad Guys side. He wants to take over the investigation and drop all charges. Someone put him in jail, he’s with the people that are trying to stop her investigation.
I have no clue why Beemer is opposing this. As others have suggested, it makes me think he has something to hide. If he is saying this to push for a different independent investigator, then he should say why.
Here is just one “stellar” individual – former Supreme Court Justice McCaffery – who was involved in the porn and racial email chains. He resigned. If you dont know about it then you are really ill-informed to be casting desparaging remarks towards AG Kane. It’s her bringing this to light that has stirred up the old boy network and brought out the wolves, like Beemer. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/10/the_fight_over_for_suspended_p.html
Look at Michigan Water Pollution. Just another sweeping it under the rug!! Good Ole Boys in High Places, they are everywhere!!
From November of 2014: “Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced Wednesday she fired four employees and disciplined 27 others after an internal investigation into receipt of sexually explicit emails.” Sure looks like there may be some serious skeletons (or porn emails) in Beemers closet for him to be so opposed to an independent investigation. http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-porn-emails-kane-firings-20141112-story.html
I could go on and on flooding this with media articles about the porn and racist emails that politicians, judges, etc. were sharing with impunitiy but its really not necessary. All the efforts against AG Kane – and Beemers objections to an independent investigation – are nothing more than the good old boys circling the wagons to try and stop more heads from being lopped off for their misconduct. Stevie Wonder could see that, with his eyes closed.
I think the Sandusky/ PSU issues is the tip of the iceberg
Corbett was also Attorney-General when the “Kids for Cash” scandal in Luzerne County was going on. No one has ever invetigate why the AG’s office never picked up on thatone!
I somehow think they are linked. This PSU issue is being covers up….big time.
Incredible, isn’t it? ( And, as the arch villians say – Noone bat’s an eye) They’ve managed to keep it out, from under the radar…and in depth PRESS EXPOSURE. Even though the Second Mile, and the CASH scandal dissappeared before our eyes. I smile.
Beemer sent the letter regarding Kane’s alleged lack of authority to hire a special prosecutor — not to the courts, to one State Senator Lisa Baker, who is not even a lawyer, much less a judge. On what basis is she able to judge the issue Beamer raises? In fact, Baker’s involvement has been as a member of the Special Committee that has already recommended “Direct Address,” a process designed to deprive Kane of a fair trial as demanded by the impeachment process.
Looks like Beemer is taking additional steps to prevent Kane from defending herself and Baker is the designated water carrier.
Beemer reportedly has brought the matter to an “anonymous” judge. Maybe he went to Judge Anonymous because Judge Kangaroo was unavailable. This entire process does not pass the smell test.