Kathleen Kane has been under fire for quite some time now (and not without reason).
Her melodrama, however, has distracted from her rivalry with Fina, which started most of the AG’s problems in the first place. Perhaps because Fina was not an elected official and was much less well known, he was remained a somewhat hidden figure in this saga.
That all changed, of course, when the infamous lewd emails he sent and received were finally revealed.
Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, who currently employs Fina as well as two other prosecutors involved in the email chain decided not to fire the men, sending them to sensitivity training instead.
Nevertheless, Philly NOW, all five City Councilwomen and Katie McGinty have recently called for Fina and his associates to be let go.
Given all that, we thought Fina’s fate would be the perfect question to pose to our readers. So, what do you think?
Should Seth Williams Fire Frank Fina?
- Yes (77%)
- No (23%)
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31 Responses
Recent reports indicate that DA Williams practically begged the steaming pile of dung (sting) defendant to take hie WAY TOO GENEROUS plea offer.
And now we all know why. Even Bruce Beemer – who just testified against Kane in the Senate Kangaroo Court trying to remove Kane – wrote a Memo saying that Fina;s investigation of only Black legislators was improper … and that it was “unjust” for Frank Fina to drop all charges against the con-man who stole $400,000.00 from a non-profit set up to help children.
Turns out – Frank Fina and that con-man have the same lawyer. And that lawyer’s wife (who has hardly any prosecutorial experience and ZERO experience as General Counsel) just got hired by Seth Williams to be General Councel at the DA’s Office.
Also – Don’t forget Jerry Mondesire? The former head of the NAACP (now deceased). He was the guy that Fina let walk on the case that the leak was about. There was evidence to arrest him. And Fina allegedly ignored it. Guess what? Seth Williams and Mondesire were tight.
Can’t make this stuff up …
@Wait – thank you for that break-down. Ali and Fina are BOTH CRIMINALS. Levant representing both of them is sheer idiocy. It gives them away. Fina must not be as smart as he thinks he is.
Now – explain Seth’s motive in all this? Why help Fina and Ali? Ambition? Stupidity? or something more nefarious?
And why would Seth be so stupid to now hire the Fina/Ali lawyer’s wife???
But, if they’re fired….how will Terry make money off them?
I think this site has officially jumped the shark with this poll.
@pat. Yes. inconsistent. But not as inconsistent as the fact that neither McCaffery nor morrow was questioned , arrested, charged or prosecuted for allegedly taking a lot more money than those state reps. If Ali really gave cash that was never reported, why not? Maybe, just maybe , it never happened. And maybe Fina knows it. Guess we will all have to wait until they are all deposed in fina’s law suit against Kane. McCaffery and morrow already denied it ever happened. I wonder if Ali goes on record to say he gave cash that was never reported and opens himself up to a defamation lawsuit. It all comes out in the wash.
@pat Unger-or whoever you are. Fina created a conflict to justify his unilateral decision to remove the Ali file from the AG office without Kane or Kinda Kelly authorization. The conflict he cited was Ali’s claim that he gave Josh morrow cash while he works on mccafferys campaign for DA. Here’s the problem. Mccaffery discovered that Ali was a crook and was trying to launder $$ into his campaign. He turned Ali over to the AG and directed morrow to work with the AG to investigate Ali. Morrow did, taped conversations with the straw donors and then returned the contributions. Those are all facts. Years later,Kane wins and Fina needs to get the file out of the office. He conspiredswith Ali to lie and now say he gave Morrow cash that was never returned. It’s all complete BS. Why would morrow investigate the straw donations, tape the conversations and turn Ali over to the AG and return the donations but pocket the cash? The answer is he wouldn’t -because it never happened. Why do you think Fina Leavant and Ali are so cozy? Have you ever heard of such incestuous behavior between a prosecutor, a criminal defendant and his lawyer? Wait til Ali and morrow are deposed in that suit. Fireworks to follow.
Is this true? Ali and Fina have the same attorney? Jesus Christ. The nerve of these corrupt jack-asses. Seth Williams needs to re-evaluate.
Shill-Boy – the fact that you are here typing this nonsense OVER and OVER helps makes the case. You can do better, Shill-boy …
This is utterly ridiculous. Someone needs to step in and put an end to this, The DA’s Office just lost one of its best prosecutors and top lawyers over these racist corrupt ayyy-holes.
Now – Seth thinks that he can bring in Fina’s lawyer’s wife and pay her from MY MONEY?
No way — Someone needs to look into this. Does City Council or the Mayor’s Office have to approve this new position (or new positions) at the DA’s Office? If so – they need to put the brakes on this.
There is, at the very least, the appearance of impropriety. Enough is enough.
My panties are in a BUNCH over this! It’s obvious that I hate Frank Fina because he exposed Pedo State as a haven for child molesters. Fina revealed that Joe Pedoterno condoned child molestation rather than ruin his own egolicious reputation. I can’t even tell you anything that Fina actually did wrong, but it chafes my asshole to read about him!!
Wow — This story gets worse and worse for Frank Fina and Seth Williams.
This is UNREAL: Tyron and Ali and Frank Fina have the same lawyer !!!!
And this lawyer stands to profit from Fina’s lawsuit against Kane? And this same lawyer negotiated with Fina to get him to drop all the charges against his other client – Ali? And this same lawyer convinced his client Fina to let his other client Ali keep the $400,000.00 he stole from the taxpayers of Pennsylvania?
And now this same lawyer’s wife is “Chief of Staff” … “General Counsel” … and “Chief INTEGRITY Officer” at the Philadelphia D.A.’s Office?
This is a MAJOR RED FLAG. The FBI better get involved RIGHT NOW. Before these people have any impact on the D.A.’s Office of the Citizens of Philadelphia.
It’s really too bad that Kathleen Kane was so obvious about the crimes she committed, because it makes it so much harder to go after Fina. Fina obviously didn’t commit any crimes, but I HATE HIM SO MUCH for exposing Pedo State as a haven for kid-touchers. Kane just had to go and openly discuss her plans to leak confidential documents and then she just had to lie under oath about it. Now Fina looks like a boy scout compared to Kane.
Just posted almost the same thing on the Kane article.
Do these guys really think they can get away with this? Someone needs to see how much Levant and Martin gave to Seth Williams’ campaign. City Council and the Mayor’s Office have to approve this “new position?” If so -they better look carefully.
This just does not seem kosher. They may both be great people and great lawyers. But – just the idea that Tyron Ali (the criminal) and Frank Fina (the prosecutor that gave him the sweet-heart plea deal) have the SAME ATTORNEY is just mind-boggling.
Don’t get your “conflict” stuff, @Wait. Please explain.
This is getting weirder. The Phila DN reports that Fina and Costanzo hired Tyrone Ali’s lawyer to represent them in their libel suit against Kane. And also that Seth just hired the lawyers wife as his chief integrity officer. Any truth to the rumor that they conspired to create a conflict to get that file out of Kane’s office? I can’t wait until Ali is deposed. This thing is going to go viral. Someone call John Grisham-fast.
Frankly you are all asking the wrong questions. We should find out what exactly Fina and Costanzo have on Seth. It is well known that these two keep personal files on their political enemies and then use their well placed sources in the media to leak information. That may well be moot now that the Feds have convened a grand jury to look into Seth’s misuse of campaign funds. Come to think of it, isn’t Seth prosecuting those state reps for failing to report cash contributions? What’s the difference between reporting the contribution and then using it to buy your girlfriend dinner and what they did? The answer is not much.
My guess is that if this Poll were taken at the D.A.’s Office, the results would be something like:
Yes – Fire Fina, 98%
No – Let Fina embarrass us more, 2%
LOL … Looks like the Repervlicans have figured out that the Public is on to them. The Senate has been trying to do an end-around on the Constitution and have been calling them “hearings” on whether to “remove” Kane.
If they had any confidence that their Kangaroo Court was going to work, they would not be doing this:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20151124_ap_d73b7c57cd49427990829aed61c16c2e.html
In the Senate, the Attorney General will be entitled to a trial. POPCORN will be ready!! The Clown Car has been trying to deny Kane a trial since they started their smear campaign. They had hoped that she would just quietly resign because Craig & Angela were printing nasty things about her. They went ON AND ON about her divorce … How dare she split from her husband?!? Then it was her sister’s e-mails … LOL ….
The Clown Car even started their own criminal investigation in the form of a Grand Jury – which was authorized by Ron Castille (Eakin’s buddy and someone who wanted Kane’s job). A Republican Judge appointed a Republican special prosecutor … all to investigate one alleged leak of something that may not have been protected material. THEN – they proceeded to ILLEGALLY LEAK tons of material from that investigation.
But that didn’t work either. They then sued Kane a bunch of times … called her more names (Kalamity) … and wrung their hands over why she wouldn’t just GO AWAY. They still seem confused.
But Kane had these guys figured out. She knows how they operate. They are shake-down artists. Their weak cases against prominent people weren’t going to trial. She knew why. They are bullies. And she knew that bullies just need to be confronted. Here we are, all these months later, and AG Kane is still standing.
In the end, it’s this simple: PROVE IT AT A TRIAL OR SHUT UP
Another internet tough guy. LMAO …
As I recall, HaHaHa, you were posting then under multiple screen names too. You’re a douche. Get a life.
I don’t remember Terry complaining when all the “Should Kane Resign” Polls came out in the middle of the smear campaign. Tables now turned on the TEA-guzzling losers.
Well, Terry Madonna – no one said a Survey is a scientific poll. And one of the “Observer” posts below is by an impostor, so that ups your count the other way. Feel free to have an informed opinion.
So, at least 6 out of 9 responses so far are from the same person (Pat Unger/H3/aaron). Is that how PoliticsPA surveys work?
Leaders who want the racist woman-hating pervert creeps – Frank Fina included – to be removed from the City’s Payroll:
President of The National Organization of Women
Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association
President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association
Sen. Anthony Williams
Congressman Bob Brady
Future Senator Katie McGinty
Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez
Councilwoman Cindy Bass,
Councilwoman Blackwell,
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown
Councilwoman Marian Tasco
Councilman Curtis Jones
Councilman Wilson Goode Jr.,
Councilman William Greenlee,
Councilman Kenyatta Johnson
Wake me when these pigs are gone. Has Eakin resigned yet?
The tea-party guys should be the most upset. Though they hate Blacks too, they really hate people stealing from taxpayers. That’s exactly what Fina did. And he sent others to jail for the same thing. Forget firing him. Put him in jail.
From another commenter on another article:
“This is a complete and total farce. In any other occupation, senior executive staff like this would be terminated on the spot for cause. Worse yet, these are senior prosecutors, sworn with upholding the law. They prosecuted others in the government for their inappropriate use of state computers. What hypocrisy. As bad, what about the cozy relationship these emails demonstrate between prosecutors and judges? Pity the poor defendants who are poor, persons of color, recent immigrants or women who step into a court expecting equal justice under the law. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. This isn’t some elitist all white country club they are running, it is our criminal justice system. FIRE THEM.”
Well said !!!
When Williams fires Fina, can he then bring Ed McCann back?
McCann is a huge loss to the D.A.’s Office. He is a real prosecutor that does things the RIGHT WAY. Williams choosing Racists and Misogynists over a dedicated career prosecutor is NOT GOOD.
The City of Philadelphia deserves better.
A better poll question would be: “Would YOU hire Frank Fina?” And of course, the answer to that question would answer this one. Why should taxpayers anywhere be paying his salary? Let him go chase ambulances, where he belongs.
No one should vote until they have considered the following:
Part of an email from Fina to two colleagues — depicts a topless woman on her back, giving oral sex to a male “boss” in a dress shirt. It is captioned in the style of a motivational poster: “WILLINGNESS: Bend over backwards to do an exceptional job.”
The next image? Another woman. Also giving oral sex. “DEVOTION: Making your boss happy is your only job.” It’s not all blowjobs. The next image in the set featured anal sex with a similar message.
The stuff that wasn’t pornographic was still demeaning to women and minorities. Fina’s group of faux motivational posters included an image of a white man, carrying a bucket of fried chicken, being accosted by two deranged-looking black men. The caption? “Bravery at its finest.” — https://www.flickr.com/photos/zadock1/3580634808
One of the few pictures of a clothed female showed a woman wearing a T-shirt emblazoned: “WIFE: Washing, Ironing, F**ing, Etc.” (The letters in the explicit word were blurred in the photo) That caption? “PLACE: Know it!”
And he did this stuff on his State equipment … on the taxpayers’ dime. He has prosecuted people for similar behavior.
Tar and feather wasn’t a choice, so I guess “fire”.
From the Petition on Change.org:
It is time for decent people in Philadelphia to step up and put an end to an environment of impunity in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office where perpetrators of misogyny, racism and homophobia continue to have the jurisdiction over the prosecution of crimes.
Please join Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in signing the petition to the Philadelphia District Attorney (DA), Seth Williams to remove Assistant DA’s: Frank Fina, Marc Costanzo & Patrick Blessington from the DA’s office.
Prosecutors Frank Fina, Marc Costanzo & Patrick Blessington misused the government’s servers in the Attorney General of Pennsylvania’s Office to exchange, view, and disseminate emails with content devaluing, demeaning and hateful towards women, members of the LGBT community and people of color. It has been proven that these men abused their position of public trust and power when they took part in and condoned this behavior. Emails depicted women in compromising sexual situations, African American babies in caricatures depicting violence, and the ridiculing of gay men.
This content is heinous in that it perpetuates stereotypes and threatens the progress that we have made in society. As public servants sworn to uphold the law, they should have immediately said STOP. The incident should have been reported and investigated with appropriate action taken. Instead, the images were circulated and the behavior condoned all at the expense of the tax payer. In addition, lines were crossed that undermine our system of justice.
Prosecutors, lawyers, and judges should limit their interpersonal relationships so as to keep the system fair. Instead, they chose to disregard those ethical obligations and were part of a ring that passed these materials amongst each other with impunity. These private relationships between prosecutors and the judges lead to the compromising of the judiciary by members of the executive branch, a violation of the doctrine of separation of powers. Just as word was getting out about these heinous activities, and before the emails actually came to light, these three individuals made a timely exit. They were rewarded by DA Williams by allowing them to continue to have active prosecutorial roles.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20151124_Racist_emails_could_impact_pending_criminal_cases_against_two_black_legislators.html
As I have been saying for months, the last thing Seth Williams wants is for the steaming pile of dung (sting) case to go to trial. Because then the truth will come out. And here is the truth:
“In the May 21, 2013, memo, Beemer advised Kane to drop any criminal case against Bishop and four other black state legislators …
One problem, noted Beemer, is that top prosecutors seemingly pushed to “focus only on members of the Legislative Black Caucus,” which Beemer described as “shocking” and potentially crippling to an effective prosecution.
Perhaps the biggest problem, Beemer asserted, is the “unjust” plea deal granted by Fina to Ali.”