Gov. Tom Wolf released the following statement today concerning the indictment of Attorney General Kathleen Kane on what many, including the writer, consider exaggerated charges:
Kathleen Kane
“In this criminal complaint, Attorney General Kathleen Kane was charged with official oppression; she was charged with obstruction of administration of law; she was charged with perjury. These are the charges and there are other serious charges, and they are troubling. And, I am not sure how the top law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania can continue to perform her duties while she is defending herself against these serious charges. They are serious.
“She is entitled to her day in court. She is entitled to due process under our system of government and law, and she will have time to defend herself, and I think she needs to do that.
“But in the meantime, I am calling on her to step aside, step down as attorney general, because I think she cannot do what she has to do as the top law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania while she’s facing these serious charges.”
Here is the Montgomery County DA’s criminal complaint against Kane. It is a long but worthwhile read. Kane seems to have done some petty and dumb things, and even technically broken the law, if it is to be believed. On the other hand, we have yet to hear her account.
Below is the response on Facebook by Marilyn Levin, former chairwoman of the Dauphin County Democrats:
“I do not know if Kathleen Kane committed a crime. What I do know is the GOP did not like losing the Attorney General position. I do know that they have called for her impeachment. It seems so politically motivated to me. Now they have a DA who is running for judge indict her.
“What do our prominent Democratic leaders do? They do the GOP job for them, they throw her under the bus. So much for Party loyalty.”
The ‘Old Boy Network’ was gravely threatened by the election of Kane, an outsider who has no involvement in self-serving and, over the decades, often nefarious financial dealings at the expense of tax payers. She was the first Democrat elected to that office.
Where Republicans sought to impeach and convict Bill Clinton, they now pounce upon and indict on what may have been a minor violation of the law, and, as they did with the former President, magnify the charge by accusations of “obstruction of justice”. As we have commented before, due to public disgust with Tom Corbett and the desire for a new face, Kane rose as a rocket from a relatively minor position as an assistant district attorney from the Scranton area. She was learning on the job while swimming with sharks.
We sense the same strategy taking place at this very moment with reports of Hillary Clinton being under criminal investigation for her handling of her e-mails while Secretary of State. If a Republican federal prosecutor brings the charge, she too may be indicted and her candidacy for President derailed.
We finally have an AG who is willing to investigate and indict the former mayor of Harrisburg and perhaps his ‘white collar’ accomplices. What a tragedy it will be if she is hounded out of office and replaced with still another political operative.
The Tea Baggers in the house and senate made it very clear they would do whatever it takes to get her. Let a jury hash it out, and waste a bunch of money on nothing.