Kathleen Kane, the first woman ever elected attorney general of Pennsylvania, has been charged with perjury, obstruction of justice and other crimes.
The charges against the state's top prosecutor were filed at 11 a.m. in Montgomery County Thursday, though she did not turn herself in. Kane will be arraigned at a later date to be determined.
Charges were also filed against Patrick Reese, Kane's driver and a former police chief.
"This is a sad day for Pennsylvania, and this is a sad day for all of us in law enforcement," Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said Thursday when announcing the charges, which stem from an ongoing investigation into a 2009 grand jury leak.
Kane allegedly leaked information about a 2009 grand jury investigation to the Philadelphia Daily News last year, done intentionally to embarrass a former state prosecutor whom she believed had once embarrassed her, according to Ferman. Kane then engaged in a cover-up by repeatedly lying to the grand jury while under oath.
Despite calls for her resignation by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Kane reiterated that she would stay in office.
"I am very disappointed the district attorney has made the decision to pursue this case. I have maintained my innocence from the day these allegations surfaced and I continue to do so today," Kane said in a statement.
"I intend to defend myself vigorously against these charges. I look forward to the opportunity to present my case in a public courtroom and move beyond the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that has defined the process to this point," Kane continued.
Kane's 2012 victory made her the first Democrat elected to her position as well as the first woman. The 49-year-old has repeatedly vowed to run again for office in 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment