AG Kane Has Become a Pain

When Kathleen Kane was elected Pennsylvania's Attorney General, I had high hopes for her. I never bought into her campaign claim that Governor Corbett had dragged his feet on the Sandusky scandal, but it persuaded many voters. I was impressed by what I thought was her advocacy for children, and voted for her. I admit it. It is now clear to me that the only person she has ever advocated for is herself. And she's doing a lousy job of it. Instead of seeing her as a viable U.S. Senate candidate against Pat Toomey, I doubt she'll hold on to the office she won so convincingly. Her luster is gone.

Her first big mistake centers around her decision to shut down a corruption probe that caught Philadelphia are state reps and one district judge accepting gifts. That decision may have been the right call, but accusing career prosecutors of anti-black bias is bizarre when most of them were themselves black. She then got into a public passing match with Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, challenged him to take the case,and he did. When the Inky began to ask hard questions, she hired Richard Sprague for a possible defamation suit.  

Her second big error is more recent, and it concerns the long awaited Sandusky report. She commissioned a law school professor who, in balanced, election-free language, basically exonerated Governor Corbett, who at the time was AG. Corbett played no politics, and using a Grand Jury was a reasonable way to proceed. But when she released the analysis, Kane still insisted there were "inexplicable delays" and claimed that Sandusky had added two more victims to his list as the investigation dragged on.

That would be terrible, except it's a lie. Kane was forced to admit her error, not in person, but through someone who would not identify himself.

There's a third problem, though the press has been slow to pick up on it.

In January, a Kathleen Kane Grand Jury, issued a scathing presentment recommending charges against Luzerne County Attorney Shelley Centini. Representing an accused double-murder, she was called part of a "cabal of criminals" who engaged in witness intimidation and even paid witnesses. In scathing language, Centini was branded as a "win-at-any-cost" lawyer.

They made her sound like a Mafia shill.

She's a Public Defender.

Accused of numerous felonies, from perjury to witness intimidation, bail was set at $500,000 unsecured.

Earlier this month, all charges were dismissed following a preliminary hearing. That almost never happens, and means that Kane failed to establish even a prima facie case.

It appears that what Kane allegations and reality are in different domains.

Some might call this inexperience. I think she's dishonest, which is a bad character trait in an Attorney General.