PA Attorney General’s Law License Suspended

(CN) - The Pennsylvania State Court decided unanimously to temporarily suspend Attorney General Kathleen Kane's law license in response to a recommendation by the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The recommendation came on the heels of criminal charges filed against Kane on Aug. 6 for perjury, obstruction of justice and other crimes related to her alleged leaks regarding a 2009 grand jury investigation and her orders to lieutenants to spy on people involved in the subsequent criminal investigation.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman reviewed claims in a 42-page criminal complaint along with a grand jury recommendation before filing charges against Kane, whose allegedly intentional leaks of confidential information were meant to embarrass her political foes, including former state prosecutors involved in the Jerry Sandusky investigation.

Stripping Kane of her law license does not disqualify her from remaining in office, however, and there may still be action taken to remove her from office through a state law provision that can remove an elected officer with two-thirds of a vote in the state Senate.

Kane, the first Democrat and first woman elected attorney general in Pennsylvania, has pledged to remain in office and clear her name despite being urged last month by Gov. Tom Wolf to resign.

Kane has reportedly stated "this is war" regarding her feuds with democratic opponents and former state prosecutors, and claims that she is the victim of an "old boys network" vendetta.

The announcement of her impending suspension, which begins on October 21, follows Kane's change in position about releasing "thousands" of pornographic emails as a matter of public record, which she says are "vital" to defending herself against the criminal charges.

Kane initially appealed a ruling last year that determined the emails were public record.

She says the process leading to suspension was put into place because of the impending email release.

A spokesman for Kane stated, "The release of this information will extend well beyond the attorney general's office and certainly beyond the city limits of Harrisburg."

Kane released a written statement on Monday that said she was "disappointed" with the suspension decision but grateful that the court acknowledged her "continuing authority as attorney general."

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