Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane is charged in grand jury leak, accused of lying about it
Kathleen Kane’s booking photo. Photo from the Montgomery County District Attorney.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane was charged Thursday with leaking grand jury information and lying about it to a grand jury.
Charges against Kane include obstructing justice, official oppression, conspiracy, perjury and false swearing, report the Legal Intelligencer (sub. req.), the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Allentown Morning Call.
At a news conference on Thursday, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman alleged that Kane leaked the information to political operatives in hopes of embarrassing former state prosecutors who, she believed, had made her look bad.
Kane said she planned a vigorous defense, she continues to maintain her innocence, and she didn’t intend to resign. “A resignation would be an admission of guilt and I’m not guilty,” she said in a statement.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says the charges against the Democratic attorney general are “a stunning blow to a political career that was once on a steep ascent.”
Updated on August 10 to add Kane’s mugshot.
