Pennsylvania AG fails to get her law license reinstated; state senate to consider her removal
Image of Kathleen G. Kane from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday refused to reinstate the law license of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, saying she waited too long to seek its reinstatement.
The Feb. 5 order said Kane did not seek recusal of now-suspended Justice J. Michael Eakin “at the earliest possible time” and her objection was waived as a matter of law, the Legal Intelligencer (sub. req.) reports. The order was “a succinct five sentences” in length, Philly.com notes. Other publications covering the order include the Allentown Morning Call, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pennlive.com.
Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati announced after the decision that he plans to schedule a vote on Kane’s removal from office, Pennlive.com reports in a separate story. The senate had delayed the vote for the state supreme court decision.
The state supreme court had suspended Kane’s license Sept. 21 after she was charged with leaking grand jury information and lying about it. Kane had argued Justice J. Michael Eakin should not have participated in the decision because she discovered his “insensitive and inappropriate emails,” sent and received on a government computer. Eakin now faces an ethics complaint.
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel said in response to Kane’s petition for reinstatement that Kane had referred Eakin’s emails for investigation before the ODC sought suspension of her law license.
