Maybe it was a change of heart.
It’s beginning to look like Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams is trying to create some separation between himself and the trio of controversial prosecutors he hired on who were involved in the infamous email chains.
More likely, though, Williams recognizes that he spent a great deal of political capital on defending these men and is considering whether that may have been a questionable decision.
“I am personally saying mea culpa,” Williams told the Inquirer concerning his decision not to fire the three men. “I needed all the evidence, and I didn’t have it. And we need all of it, to restore the public’s trust across this commonwealth.”
In September, Williams settled on a punishment for Frank Fina, Marc Costanzo and Pat Blessington: a single session of “sensitivity training”.
“I failed,” the DA admits now. “I should have asked at that point for all the emails so I could have had the complete picture – from everyone.”
Kane, who has been inconsistent about releasing emails in the past, now says she may open the floodgates. According to William Bender of the Daily News, however, the Attorney General wants assurances she will not be prosecuted for violating a protection order for Fina.
The two sides appear to be at loggerheads as Kane argues that Williams never asked for the emails while he counters that she can release them whenever she wants.
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47 Responses
“Candy” – The flickr image below was sent by Frank Fina using his OAG equipment (computer, server, etc). He apparently sent it to a group that consisted only of white males (and his wife too). I do not believe that anyone is suggesting that Fina be fired because of e-mails he only received (and never viewed or sent).
My guess is as good as yours as to when he will be arrested. But – he will get his opportunity to defend himself in court.
Wonder if Mr. Cane is still butt-hurt from what Ed MCCann did to him? Seems like he still is …. LMAO ….
Seth will fire people when the city councilwomen and the rest of the race baiters show all of their emails from the last 5 years. They will never agree to that because as everyone knows you cannot control what emails people send you.
Looks like Mr.Cane has gotten up from the buggering Ed McCann gave him!
Frank Fina used his State computer to SEND the following to his white male buddies:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zadock1/3580634808
And his stash of “motivational posters” (stored on his State computer) suggested that female employees needed to perform oral sex on their bosses in order to advance their careers.
And then there are the videos. Hopefully, Kane releases those next!!!
Fire people for opening emails?
They are up over 1,400 signatures on the NOW petition. And here is the updated list of leaders who have called for DA Seth Williams to remove Frank Fina from the City’s Payroll:
Sen. Anthony Williams
Congressman Bob Brady
Former Gov. Ed Rendell
Mayor-Elect Kenney
Future Senator Katie McGinty
Rep. Brian Sims
Former First Deputy Ed McCann
President of The National Organization of Women
Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association
President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association
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
Black Clergy leaders (too many to list separately)
NAACP leaders (too many to list separately)
Gotta say that I agree with Christopher Sawyer on this. Williams not firing Fina is “horseshit” — https://www.change.org/p/seth-williams-dismiss-the-hateful-prosecutors-that-abused-the-public-trust/c/342135542
And his mea culpa is nonsense — just a bunch of words designed to get the pressure off of himself. My guess is that the good people on City Council and with NOW are not going to stop until Williams takes action (rather than just speaking words).
What’s this about Seth Williams admitting he “failed”?
IMO – he failed when he hired these people. Controversy seems to follow them wherever they go. There always seem to be “leaks” from their cases. And I remember reading something about a woman who worked at the AG’s Office suing them based on their sexist behavior. I believe she won the case too.
Where there is smoke there is fire. These men should have known better. Either that or they are just so arrogant that they believed they were above the law. Either way – it is time for Seth Williams to end this. Fire them now.
I just read that article and the comments. This Fina guy really is a disgrace to law enforcement. I am no fan of Kane’s – but I can see why she fired that man when she took office. He should not be employed and collecting a government salary.
The idea that the DA continues to pay them is simply sickening to me as a woman.
Kathy – there was a great article in Philly Mag about that topic you raise. Here it is:
http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/12/09/frank-fina-quit-resign/
Seth Williams would be wise to distance himself from these people. In fact – he should make sure that distance includes the front door of the DAO. These people should never have been hired to begin with. And now they should be shown the door.
What jerks. The fact that they don’t resign shows how little respect they have for Mr. Williams.
Man – this dude must love getting OWNED.
CandyCane says:
December 14, 2015 at 10:40 pm
Off the record on the record, then they will be fired just like Seth fired Benders rat Mcann me in the ass.
Pat – Stick to your guns. Some pathetic moron-trolls keep trying to get attention from men on the internet. Don’t give them the satisfaction. this one is so pathetic he keeps posting even though all his comments are being deleted.
Trolls have such poor memories!!
Pat Unger says:
December 15, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Oh SpongeBob … You know I don’t respond substantively to trolls like you!!
GET A LIFE, loser.
Pat,
Any proof that those videos were actually watched? I mean Kane’s confidant and now criminally convicted driver and member of her inner circle used as a defense tactic that he never viewed the contents of the emails he searched. Couldn’t Fina and the others on the email threads say the same? If it’s good enough as a defense for Kane’s closest allies why not them?
Look forward to Kane releasing the videos that Fina liked to watch at work (on the taxpayers’ dime). They have not even come out yet. They are said to include:
– bestiality
– graphic violence against women
– a 100 year-old woman engaged in intercourse
– woman having “sex” with a snake
– a man opening a champagne bottle and shoving it in a woman’s vagina
Talk about mis-using State resources!! He better enjoy the Holidays (his last w/ his family) and get fitted for his orange jump-suit. Something tells me the other inmates are not going to like him much …
” … unemployment line …”
For the 1st time ever – I may agree with the pathetic troll. If this Druecker guy groped and harassed women, he should be in the unemployment one with Fina & Costanzo.
And if Seth Williams doesn’t act fast, he is going to be with them too come the next election. Talk about making enemies. Did he really think he would get away with hiring a guy who thought this was so funny that he just had to send it to a group of white male buddies:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zadock1/3580634808
How friggin’ racist is Fina …
kraig001,
Actually there was a finding. You see the guy suing AND internal affairs at the office investigated and validated what was reported. Hence, the recommendation for termination. When the person whose job it is to determine if rules we broken is fired by someone accused of breaking the rules it gets me a little fired up sure. What also gets me fired up is the defense of an Attorney General who has continuously embarrassed herself and the commonwealth with decisions like promoting a person INVESTIGATED and found to have committed harassment against female co-workers, while clamoring for the removal of Fina. As if the 2 scenarios are different both Fina and Duecker should be sitting in the unemployment line.
It seems you are a little mad, bro …. Calm down. The “fact” is that there has been NO FINDING that this guy (whatever his name is) actually did anything wrong. And – as I stated previously – personnel decisions of the AG are not really my concern. If and when the allegations are something more – then I will call out AG Kane for not firing him.
The lawsuit filed by the Female Agent at the OAG against Frank Fina and others is over. The plaintiff WON and recovered monies. And yet Seth Williams still hired Fina … after that happened. Methinks this is not too much different than what you are saying and that you just have an agenda.
Sure why answer my post because it obliterates your view of Kane. Also kraig001 She PROMOTED this guy after HR said fire him. Those facts are not in question. This guy was fired AFTER he recommended termination of the guy who eventually fired him. This are not questions of a lawsuit. They are facts. and they are relevant because Kane wants to portray herself as not being morally bankrupt. On one hand we have people looking at bad emails on the other its someone who ACTUALLY did commit acts of harassment.
Look – If any accusations against this Duecker guy are proven, i would expect Kane would demote or fire him. But – right now they are only accusations in a lawsuit. Anyone can file a lawsuit. Plus – this is in o way related to the current situation in the Philadelphia DA’s Office. This guy wasn’t hired by Kane AFTER he was sued for “groping.” In Philadelphia, Seth hired these jokers AFTER they were sued by a female agent at the OAG.
Oh SpongeBob … You know I don’t respond substantively to trolls like you!!
GET A LIFE, loser.
Pat Unger,
What do you think the people on that list would say about Kane knowingly promoting someone who according to accounts sexually harassed women at the OAG?
According to accounts:
In an interview Thursday, Kluk, 34, said she told a superior in February 2014 that Duecker had slipped his hand underneath her blouse at a Hazleton bar where she, Duecker, and some colleagues had gathered. He also tried to caress her leg under her skirt, she said.
Kluk said other people witnessed the incident. She said she made her complaint within a few days of the encounter.
In the other case, the woman told supervisors Duecker had sexually harassed her, according to people familiar with the woman’s account. It was not clear when the second woman came forward.
The woman, an agent, reported that Duecker made unwanted advances toward her in a house the Attorney General’s Office rented in Hazleton for agents working with the Mobile Street Crimes unit, sources said.
She said that when she and Duecker were there one evening, he put his hand on her leg. At that point, she said, she stood and left for her room.
She said she later awoke to find Duecker in the room, the sources said. When she asked him what he was doing, he said he was making sure she knew he was leaving, and then he left the room
I have posted this question many times now. Nobody seems able to answer:
Is it true that Seth Williams is also represented by Levant – the attorney that already represents the con-man (Ali) and the corrupt prosecutor (Fina)?
If so – that would explain A LOT. And it would also mean that he just hired his own lawyer’s wife too … and is paying her from taxpayer dollars.
It would be one thing if this Kathy Martin was actually qualified to be “Chief of Staff” and “General Counsel” at the DA’s Office. It would still look bad, but at least she would be able to do the job. But Martin has very little prosecutorial experience and zero general counsel experience.
When is a reporter going to demand answers? Why is Fina’s lawyer’s wife collecting a big salary from the City? Is her husband also Seth Williams’ attorney as he defends himself from the FBI’s criminal investigation of his finances?
Something is NOT KOSHER at the DA’ s Office. Seth has some explaining to do. So does Frank Fina – who dropped all the charges against his lawyer’s other client and let his lawyer’s other client keep the $400,000.00 he stole from PA taxpayers.
Well said, Pat. I think someone stole your screen-name again yesterday. But all his troll comments have now been deleted. LOL …
It’s funny how the CLOWN CAR is running out of gas. They are now screaming and yelling about lawsuits (LMAO … anyone can file a lawsuit any time they want … just look at Fina)
But – here we are the end of the year – and Kathleen Kane is STILL STANDING. Amazing. She may have released confidential material to get even with a political enemy (we’ll find out if they can prove that at her trial); but, in the meantime, she is doing all the “regular Joes” in Pennsylvania a huge favor.
These elitist power-hungry racist creeps needed to be dragged into the light of day. Now some of them have been.
Does Williams really thing his “mea culpa” means anything? It is nonsense without action. And his calls for “all the evidence” … uncovered by Kane (who he has attacked) … against everyone … is just a complete JOKE.
I hope AG Kane puts the feud aside and sends DA Williams the remaining porn/racism/sexism/hate that Fina and Costanzo used their State computers to view and/or distribute. Asking for/expecting anything else is just ridiculous. And it’s insulting to the citizens of Philadelphia – who are STILL PAYING these racist creep pig coward women-haters.
Seth Williams better wake up. His little feud with Kane and his new friends (Fina & Costanzo) are making him a very unpopular person and ruining his career. And, he still has a TON of questions to answer about his new “Chief of Staff” and “General Counsel” (see comments below).
OK …. Here is the updated list of leaders who have called for DA Williams to remove Frank Fina from the City’s Payroll:
Sen. Anthony Williams
Congressman Bob Brady
Former Gov. Ed Rendell
Mayor-Elect Kenney
Future Senator Katie McGinty
Rep. Brian Sims
Former First Deputy Ed McCann
President of The National Organization of Women
Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association
President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association
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
Black Clergy leaders (too many to list separately)
NAACP leaders (too many to list separately)
Where is the fervor over Kathleen Kane protecting and promoting someone who should have and would have been fired at any other state agency. Kane brings all this on herself by being vindictive. If what is alleged is true based on yet another former staffer suing its pretty clear that Kane was and is way over her head. She is supporting and promoting someone who is from what has been reported repugnant and yet wants to rail away at emails? Her hand picked confidant and driver gets charged and convicted of a crime while on AG time using AG equipment and he keeps his high paying job? She wants to pay millions to knock people around for emails but when someone literally commits an act of harassment they not only get away with it but get promoted. Yeah but let’s keep talking about how Seth Williams hired and defended people who sent emails but give a free pass to someone who is the poster boy for sexual harassment.
please, fellow politicos: comments such as this one “Maybe he banged my ex wife mrs. Cane. Everyone else did.” are not only libel per se, but add nothing to the generally informative discussions on this site. applying NY Times v. Sullivan, a libelous comment such as the above can result in a hearty jury verdict for compensatory and punitive damages that would not be covered by one’s insurance policy.
@Disappointed – I said the same thing the other day. And Seth Williams is really the one to blame. He started this “war” between the OAG and the DA’s Office. Putting ego and ambition above common sense, he hired those creeps and tried to make the AG look bad with the “Sting” case. Now – it is Williams that looks bad. The case is fatally flawed. The lead prosecutor seems to be a racist. And the investigation improperly targeted Blacks. Add to all that the fact that Fina and tyron Ali have the same lawyer and you have all sorts of problems. Those problems are probably the reasons Williams was begging one of the accused to plead guilty. He was trying to avoid the truth coming out (which always happens at trial). Being a prosecutor means getting the bad guys — but not becoming one of them in the process. Williams seems to be far adrift from what a prosecutor should be. Kane is another story ….
Maybe he banged my ex wife mrs. Cane. Everyone else did.
RJ – You are correct, but the “discovery” process starts after there has been an arrest. Fina & The Corbett Pervs have not been arrested yet.
Ha3 said “The criminals – like Fina – don’t get a “preview” of the evidence that will be used to send them to prison.”. Uhm I am pretty sure they do. It’s part of the discovery process. If information requested by the defense is not provided, it can’t be used at trial.
It’s like watching two incompetent idiot a$$es right. Wait, that’s exactly what it is.
Leave Mrs Kane alone she is cleaning out all the Scum in Government Judge Carpenter should be in Jail as well
Ed McCann banged you in the ass, Mr. Cane? Yikes!!! TMI
Off the record on the record, then they will be fired just like Seth fired Benders rat Mcann me in the ass.
Is it true that Seth Williams is also represented by Robert Levant – the attorney that already represents the con-man (Ali) and the corrupt prosecutor (Fina)?I f so – that would explain A LOT.
And it would also mean that he just hired his own lawyer’s wife too … and is paying her from taxpayer dollars.
It would be one thing if she were qualified to be “Chief of Staff” and “General Counsel” at the DA’s Office. It would still look bad, but at least she would be able to do the job. This Kathy Martin has very little prosecutorial experience and zero general counsel experience.
Something is NOT KOSHER at the DA’ s Office. Seth has some explaining to do. The first questions should be about how Mrs. Levant (AKA Kathy Martin) got hired at the DA’s Office? Did she interview with the HR Department? Was she vetted by the Hiring Committee? Or did she just walk off the street into a job she it TOTALLY UNQUALIFIED for?
just ask anyone in the DA’s Office (other than Williams, Fina, or the other Corbett Pervs). They’ll tell you (off the record, of course).
Kane sued again today for firing moore. Moore wanted sexual harasser Duecker fired, but got fired himself for doing the right thing. KANE IS A REAL POS.
Bamboozled – Seth Eilliams already has ALL THOSE E-MAILS.
Seems he is just lying now. Because having “all” the e-mails (like People who are not on the City’s Payroll) have ABSOLUtELY NOTHING to do with Fina and Costanzo.
It’s just a distraction. And Williams giving his only interview to the two reporters on the Fina/Feudale e-mail chain is like not giving an interview at all.
Craig & Angela have been in bed with Fina & The Corbett Pervs for a long time. Those reporters helped Fina & The Corbett Pervs illegally leak Grand Jury material … and we’re preparing to help J. Feudale commit a felony as well.
The INKY needs to take a hard look at those two … and they better get good lawyer’s too.
Wait- the emails in question have been sitting in binders in City Hall Room 648 since the summer. The reporters have had access to them, so what’s keeping Seth from strolling over there and having a look-see?
This is all beyond ridiculous.is this the best we can do with electing prosecutors? These two have investigative and subpoena power not to mention they can arrest and prosecute. Yet neither one of them can make a decision based on all of the evidence? Williams is a complete clown and I’m beginning to believe that Kane is simply in over her head.
Not only is kanes sister on emails, kane is on them HERSELF.
Right. Like I said — They have no right to “all” of what Kane has uncovered. That has already been handed over to the Independent Prosecutor. The criminals – like Fina – don’t get a “preview” of the evidence that will be used to send them to prison.
DA Williams will get the additional porn he needs to fire Fina and Costanzo (as if he doesn’t have it now and as if his First Deputy did not advise Williams to fire those creeps based on what he already has).
LOL.
Pat – not sure what you are talking about. What right do Williams, Fina, and Fina’s lawyer’s wife have to “all” the evidence of corruption that Kane uncovered?
Kane should send Williams the stuff related to Fina and his pals … the people drawing salaries from the City of Philadelphia. And then we will see what Seth does.
I like how Fina’s lawyer’s wife is calling for “all the e-mails” … just like Fina & The Corbett Pervs have been for months. Coincidence? Doubt it.
This Kathleen Martin has nerve. Her husband and Fina are suing AG Kane for money. And she is telling the Attorney General what to do. That’s laughable.
I wonder if Ms. Martin knows what the prosecutors in the DA’s Office, the Judges, and other lawyers are saying about her new job. It ain’t good.
Seth better Wake up soon. He has alienated just about everyone now … from Black Leaders to NOW to his own employees. When will it end? Seth has the choice. He can continue this deplorable charade or he can do the right thing.
Doing the right thing now includes ridding the office of Fina, Costanzo, and Fina’s lawyer’s wife (who has no business being there).
Seth – you are quickly becoming a joke. Kane is going to send you all their porn. Then what are you going to do? Scream and yell that you didn’t get her sister’s porn?!? It’s not going to work. Give it up.