State Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin has been suspended.
That is the ruling of the Court of Judicial Discipline. Justice Eakin will be on leave with pay until he is given a formal trial.
“The totality of the circumstances has tainted the Pennsylvania judiciary in the eyes of the public,” the Court writes. “Until the trial on the merits, when the actions of the Respondent can be more closely reviewed, the integrity of the Pennsylvania judiciary has been and continues to be subject to disrespect. The only means to ensure the public’s confidence in the Pennsylvania judiciary is to suspend the Respondent pending the full trial on the merits of the Complaint.”
Eakin was initially cleared when news about his involvement broke last year. After Kathleen Kane stated that there were more messages, however, the initiative taken back up.
The schemes of his colleagues and his own pleas weren’t enough to prevent this action.
There will be a pre-trial conference in Harrisburg on January 21st.
UPDATE: Attorney General Kathleen Kane released the following statement in response:
“I applaud the Court of Judicial Discipline for its decision yesterday. For more than a year, the contents of Justice Eakin’s emails were known to officials within the justice system. Some chose to look the other way while others chose to call them ‘unremarkable.’ None felt they merited any discipline and all have undermined the credibility in our justice system.”
“This is yet another step in restoring our faith in our justice system. In the coming months, as the special prosecutor reviews over 1 million of these emails, I expect there to be more of these days. And with each one, we will come one step closer to restoring the credibility of our justice system. We will be one step closer to transforming our system of justice from the one we have to the one we deserve.”
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110 Responses
James Willis
Kane’s driver hunted for the leakers that the Montco DA and kangaroo court judge Carpenter would not. Shame he didn’t have more time/resources/access to find those weasels.
Read what I wrote. Kane’s STILL in office. But, even if she gets removed, the overall scoreboard is a win because of all the people she took down.
Hey, Edward Snowden’s actions were technically illegal, but he exposed far more illegal and unconstitutional behavior. To some he’s a hero, to others a traitor.
SpongeBob
It’s far more likely you spend your free time in a van with blacked out windows near a playground. You probably invite (lure) kids in to watch “Spy Kids” movies. Or maybe “kids who need textbooks”.
So, I understand why you keep hiding behind your alias. You know that when I figure out who you are, I’m going to find your name on a child predator watch list.
I already outed kanesdriver as a special agent in the OAG Pittsburgh office. What will happen when you get outed? You must be VERY worried about the stuff you’ve posted coming back to haunt you and your employer(s), or you would have dropped the alias a long time ago.
If your many (though vague) claims were connected back to you, it sure seems like you’ve breached many agreements of confidentiality.
If you care about the places begging for money, because it’s being wasted, then you should be contacting the Montco DA to drop the case against Kane, and your pals in the state senate against trying to remove Kane.
Mr. David. I can appreciate your attempt at deflection by saying Kane’s driver big deal. However, you left off the first person. Ms. Kane has been arrested, bound over for court thus facing prosecution. THAT is a big deal. With that said for those who celebrate
Merry Christmas
Scranton sucks, hahaha is a bonusgate convict. That is why he hates fina so much. Welcome home for the holidays to my buddy BUNGY. I hope you enjoyed your 4 months in ITALY? This may get fun for some and not fun at all for others, with BUNGY back in town.
It’s in her outbox, SpongeBob. And you know what’s worse: Kane covering up for it and her shameless hypocrisy.
David, Horseshit huh? you want links to the media reports of places begging for money to stay open before turning people away for services?
As for keeping pictures in a shoebox. Sadly no, I spend my free time focusing on interesting legal cases. Lately I have been spending a lot of time on cases around knee replacements and the like.
Maybe if I get some free time I can focus on deviant content, like that found in AG Kane’s sister inbox.
Bob, paid suspensions are all the rage in government. You know that. Kane should send her sister on a paid vacation and it’ll all be squared up.
How does Justice get paid while suspended; he is getting paid for not working! How much a punishment is that?
Justice Eakin has humiliated himself and us.
I have think that AG Kane has reason to think she is going to jail and decided take down as many tormentors as she Kane. Attacking one judge puts fear and anger into every judge. AG Kane would not do this unless she can’t get a pleas deal without jail.
Eakin’s departure is not a great loss to Pennsylvania jurisprudence. He admits that what he has done brings the office into disrepute when he apologizes. case closed. He should save us all the time and just resign. Now.
Eakin must be removed from the bench. Bad enough the off color porn racist e-mails, but the fact that twice they tried to cover it up is even worse. First his Friend and campaign officer tries to find his e-mail content “Non Remarkable” then Eakin himself tries to place a close friend and ally on the review board to ensure a favorable outcome !!!!
This behavior by a Supreme Court Justice is reprehensible and screams for his removal !!! Anything less is detrimental to the Justice System itself.
SpongeBob
Your “outreach” is a load of horseshit. Exposure and removal do not require prosecutions (and I don’t expect many/any prosecutions).
Biased convictions cost more than $2 million.
SciFiHigh5
I believe SpongeBob when he says he’s not worried about his emails. Bob seems to be more the type to have analog photos of naked boys and girls in a shoebox.
Surely someone here has finally tracked down the charges that were filed by Fina against “HaHaHa.” What were they?
One down – a few more to go !!
Has Seth Williams started talking to the Press yet? Im mean – other than the fluff piece by Fina’s buddies – Crain & Angela ….
Because I would assume that Williams has some explaining to do. For instance, does he think it’s OK to continue to employ racist women-hating creeps as prosecutors because AG Kane does?
How did his new “Chief of Staff” and “general Counsel” get her job? Did she walk right off the street into a high-paid government job for which she has virtually zero qualifications? Did she get interviewed by H.R.? Did she get vetted by the Hiring Committee?
Is it just a coincidence that this high-pain unqualified “Chief of Staff” just so happens to be Frank Fina’s lawyer’s wife? Yes – Kathy Martin is the wife of the lawyer suing the OAG for $$$. She stands to gain from that lawsuit.
Oh – and is it Kosher that Frank Fina’s lawyer is also Tyron Ali’s lawyer? That would mean that Fina dropped all charges against his lawyer’s other client (Ali) and let his lawyer’s other client (Ali) keep the $400,000.00 he stole from PA taxpayers.
Waiting for answers.
Nice try but that’s not what I said. I have nothing to worry about. These matters affect me not at all. I am however a concerned taxpayer.
SciFi, I revealed you below to be a know-nothing. Just stop while you’re behind.
So – you are on the e-mail threads and just aren’t worried about it? OK – that explains a lot. Carry on.
I did answer your question. I have nothing to worry about.
Bob – you didn’t answer my question. Are you on some of the e-mails threads?
SciFiHigh5,
I have nothing to worry about. You seem to want to emphasize the point of the greater issue being who SENT those emails. I agree. The overwhelming majority of the emails that have been shared are ones RECEIVED by those who have been called out. Some have been forwarded along and those emails from what I have seen seem to be on the frat boy side. I have not seen the emails that have been observed as being racist for example as being anything other than received by those called out including Kane’s sister.
I have also not seen where these emails were delivered into these peoples mailboxes. I know one recipient (specifically called out as never having sent any of the obscene emails) for example has indicated that the emails were delivered to his junk mail folder which he regularly emptied.
Are you implying that someone is guilty of a crime for things the receive which they do not control? If so post your email address and mailing address and see how much conviction you have in your beliefs.
Kane’s motives self serving. She’s known since 2009.
Bob, I am sorry – but you lose credibility when you call racist e-mails “frat boy humor.” Because it’s not. It’s disturbing; especially so when it is prosecutors and judges involved in sending it. You are being callous. Or you are purposely ignoring the true nature of this problem. Just curious – are you on the e-mail thread? Is that why you are downplaying the content of those e-mails and hoping the Independent Prosecutor doesn’t get a chance to see if crimes were committed?
SpongeBob, good point, but the Democrats never seemed to understand this logic about Kane’s “investigation” into the Sandusky case either. All the gullible Dems and Joebots voted for Kane because they had visions of Tom Corbett going to prison for something irregular in the Sandusky case. But there was no way that could ever happen — Corbett had total prosecutorial discretion in how he handled that case.
And, of course, Kane’s “investigation” got her nowhere near any irregularities. There was some Monday morning quarterbacking about whether certain aspects of the case could have gone quicker, but nothing about political reasons or anything like that. That didn’t stop Kane from blurting out that there were two additional victims during the investigation — which is clearly false and had to be walked back by her staff the next day.
So here we are again with Kathleen Kane spending lots of our money on an “investigation” that will never result in any criminal charges. Diano tends to respond to these things with pure speculation about what “could” happen in his own amateur legal mind. But those of us with a brain know that this is a waste of money, pure and simple.
David,
Tell the mother of 3 who was beaten by her boyfriend that when she shows up for help at an outreach center and they tell her there is nothing they can do since their budget was cut that the 2 million dollars was better spent when IT CANNOT RESULT IN PROSECUTION. There will be no prosecutions from this process. Maybe more embarrassment but she will drag down both sides for frat boy humor and soft core smut. Yet real people who need services, kids who need textbooks are told nah, I had to pay off lawsuits and vendetta scores instead of helping you out. Some democrat you are.
SciFiHigh5, Where do settlements come from? Are you offering to pay out of your pocket for them? And yes those settlements will certainly be thought of when the budget is being set for the OAG in years to come. Also when people are fired without cause I don’t think of them as greedy crybabies. Kane is going down plain and simple. You can dismiss these lawsuits all you want. Some of them could get tossed or altered but she is going to be twisting in the wind on a few of them and its all of us who will suffer the financial burden of someone who is acting like a child.
Diano,
Time will tell what ELSE Kane has done, but so far she has obviously violated grand jury and perjury statutes, which includes felonies. On a smaller scale, yes, she has hired a janitor who’s a friend from Scranton to commute to Harrisburg to do the work (collecting mileage and gas money along the way). She promoted her sister over far more qualified candidates. She promoted The Dueck, who groped female OAG employees and fired the HR Director who recommended that The Dueck be fired. She hired her lover/bodyguard and another Scranton boy to be her (unprecedented) second bodyguard. Turns out the first bodyguard is now convicted of criminal contempt for spying on grand jury witnesses and the second bodyguard was responsible for sending lewd emails in the OAG.
Don’t even pretend that Kane is squeaky clean. She’s as crooked as a Boondog Millionaire.
SciFi, you’re deluding yourself. First, settlements and judgments involving the OAG do come from the OAG in two ways: (1) they get paid out up to a certain amount by the OAG’s contribution to ELSIP (the Commonwealth’s self-insurance program) and (2) once the amount exceeds what OAG has in ELSIP, it comes out of OAG’s general budget.
Secondly, the new MontCo DA is Kevin Steele, who has spear-headed the prosecution of Kane from the beginning. The case is not going away.
SpongeBob
$2 million is a small price to pay if it exposes another supreme court judge, or top brass in state police, or DA of a large city/county. Considering all the money and political influence of for-profit prisons, I doubt the cash-for-kids judge was an isolated case.
The service Kane has done by exposing this outweighs her mistakes (as well as the bogus charters charges against her).
Scranton Sucks
Has Kane taken any bribes? Has she embezzled funds? Has she prosecuted anyone on trumped up charges? Has she steered large govt contracts to her friends/family/donors?
She HAS shown that judge Eakin ruled against her, to silence her, to cover up his own involvement.
I changed my mind. Eakin must go. It is (Bill) Cintonian. I would not have impeached Clinton for having had sex with that intern. I would have impeached him for lying to a grand jury. Similarly, I would have censured/suspended Eakin but not overturned an election for his smutty emails. But for lying about them, and for trying to pack the judician oversight board? Goodbye. And Chief Justice Saylor withdrew the appointment — AFTER he had approved it, and only AFTER the Inquirer exposed the chicanery! Yuck!
How many people were blackmailed by Kane with these emails before someone stood up to her? She’s known they were going around the AG’s office since she started receiving them from her sister in 2009.
Scranton Sucks is right. David is using these bathroom emails that Kane received from her sister as a distraction from the crimes Democrats have committed. There’s no comparison.
Bob, her “lawsuits” are not going to bankrupt the AG office. Settlements/verdicts don’t even come from their budget. Those cases aren’t going anywhere anyway. My guess is that those greedy crybabies suing are not going to get a dime. I have read that the new DA in Montgomery County is a Democrat. Isn’t it possible he will see the case against Kane for what it is – Frank Fina and his buddies trying to settle a score. Does that case even have a trial date? If not – why not? Why does it seem they are so scared to give Kane her day in court? Same question applies to the sting defendants? Why such generous deals to avoid court?
Diano, you got owned below. Not only is Kane very likely on her way to state prison, but also the OAG is in shambles because of her. The damage she has caused and people close to her who have suffered far outweigh any harm to her rivals or any benefit to the Commonwealth. Kathleen Kane has been terrible for Pennsylvania. In a year of terribly corrupt Democrats facing criminal charges, Kathleen Kane stands out above the rest.
David, I don’t entirely disagree but she is going to cause havoc on this upcoming election cycle for D’s if she is still in office. I think both sides are at fault in the budget process. Pennsylvanians are tired or footing the bill for all the waste happening. Instead of resolving issues they want to raise taxes. So let’s let Kane spend million for example to do what? She hired someone who can’t even prosecute people. Take that money and put it towards those local communities. You can’t be supportive Kane and not recognize the giant waste of money she is causing the commonwealth. plus her lawsuits are going to bankrupt the office.
James Willis
Wow. A driver. Gee, that’s real important compared to two supreme court judges.
SpongeBob-
“Kane has promoted those loyal to her.”
Well, that’s never happened before in Pennsylvania.
Your list of things against Kane will only amount to a single “score” on the scoreboard if Kane loses and is removed. But, my point was a small sampling of the people who have gone down first. So, even if Kane is removed, she will have served 75% of her term, and brought down and exposed much bigger fish and problems. So, it will be an overall win on the scoreboard.
If you are so worried about money wasted, you should talk to your GOP buddies in the House and Senate. Their games are causing havoc on local budgets for communities borrowing money with interest.
The special prosecutor has no authority to prosecute here. The “evidence” he is using is going to be challenged as tainted so its veracity will be in question at every turn. There are so many flaws with the process it will result in nothing but a huge cost for the taxpayers. Oh and it can still be quashed if she is removed. So yeah something can be done to stop it and likely will before long.
As for the previous independent review it was done at a big cost to the taxpayers because it was what she campaigned on. We paid the price to find out nothing we did not already know on the Sandusky case. So job well done? I think not.
Lastly I don’t think people are running scared. She has proven to be too over her head to accomplish anything lately and her new year will start just as bad as this year.
Bob, The Special Independent Prosecutor will weed out more dead weight. That’s a good thing. Though there are a ton of people running scared (you included perhaps), it was a smart move by Kane and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. The “it will cost too much” argument is stupid. It reeks of desperation. The guy is going to do his job and look for violations of law or ethics violations. Powerful judges and prosecutors should not get away with their crimes by virtue of the fact that they are judges and prosecutors. If there are no criminal or ethical violations, then at least this can be put to bed – which is worth something too. And if people misused their offices or their powers, revealing that is important work. The last time Kane picked someone to look into something, he did a great job and found that there were not political reasons behind the Sandusky delays. She did not “twist his arm” to get him to say otherwise. The investigation went where the facts took it. I suspect that is what will happen now as well.
I can’t get over the timing that Kane received these emails as early as 2009 but only started weaponizing their use after her last attempt at using them as blackmail backfired in 2015.
Grow Up? I would be happy if they were all gone. Kane will cost us all millions with her idiotic decisions. Fina is a blight on anything he touches. If we could put them on a cargo ship and send them to Antarctica I would be happy. Regardless of your political party the millions that will get wasted here are better spent on things people need not printouts of racy emails.
You sound like a bunch of little girls. Grow up – and then grow a pair. Fina vs. Kane has turned into Fina and Williams vs. Kane. And that has turned into DA’s Office vs. AG’s Office. And now everyone is losing. In the end, PA will be better off. This is like a thinning of the herd.
What he said.
David,
You forgot a few things on your scoreboard. No worries I am glad to help.
Kane has been investigated by multiple Grand Juries
Kane has been charged with multiple crimes including a felony.
Kane is a party in at least 6 lawsuits by current and former staffers for various causes that will costs the taxpayers millions to defend her.
Kane has violated strict OAG Policy which she affirmed when she took office that anyone charged with a crime be suspended and if convicted be terminated.
Kane has promoted those loyal to her including those who both received and SENT emails in the porngate/hategate scandal. Those individuals include her head of forensics and more importantly her chief of staff.
Her chief of staff was accused, investigated and deemed to have committed egregious acts violating the OAG’s defined sexual harassment policy before being promoted to Chief of Staff. One of this chief of staffs first actions was to fire the HR resource who reviewed and completed and HR evaluation of the investigative material and deemed that he violated said policy.
She promoted and gave a significant raise to another OAG employee who wrote an opinion to a western PA paper even though that action violated specific OAG policy preventing employees from discussing OAG matters with the media. The policy defines suspension and termination as the only outcomes for such a violation. This employee was promoted and received and almost unheard of 30 percent increase in salary.
Kathleen Kane is attempting to outsource the investigation of offensive emails to the tune of 2 million plus taxpayer dollars. This is significant because instead of the OAG being able to effectively investigate she has so prejudiced the process with her selective release and attacks that the PA taxpayer is going to have to pay to investigate what likely will result in no criminal complaints being filed.
Kathleen Kane has gone through half a dozen press secretaries and chiefs of staff. Some being quoted as saying the felt an ethical boundary was being pushed and therefore chose to leave employment some within weeks of joining the office.
Kathleen Kane has been accused of directing employees to violate grand jury orders, and in doing so further tainting the evidence she may have hoped to present in the email scandal.
Kathleen Kane has been called on to resign by seemingly every major media outlet, current and form governors of Pennsylvania and other typically blue states and by national political pundits.
She has multiple times falsely implied incorrect facts about cases including accusations of child porn in emails, additional victims in Sandusky and many more fact gaffes that have had to be walked back while doing irreparable harm to those included in the incorrect accusations.
She has selectively prosecuted cases and situations based on party and personal loyalty. Most recently demonstrating that by releasing emails from her sister, including some of which others who received the same exact messages were disciplined including suspensions while her sister received no such actions.
David should I continue because I am not done yet?
The fix is in. Gee, how
Could I miss that after seeing who was on the panel?
Mr. David Can we add a few more names to your list
AG Kane. Arrested, will face trial
AG Kane’s Driver arrested
AG Kane’s sister now involved in e-mail scandle potentially may lose job/ face disciplinary action
AG Kane’s top investigator (David Peiffer) after long career in law enforcement accepted immunity and agreed to co-operate and testify against AG Kane and her driver rather than face the probability of arrest. Career killer.
Still more. ?
Kane (D) commits crimes. Eakin (R) talks about them. Progressives only attack Eakin. His sarcastic emails are just a distraction.
Let’s look at the scoreboard:
Kane still A.G. and working every day
Seamus resigned in disgrace
Eakin suspended and on leave (more to come)
Frank Fina exposed and reassigned
Marc Costanzo exposed and reassigned
Pat Blessington exposed and reassigned
Seth Williams political career unraveled by not firing Fina and friends. Calls for Williams to resign.
Many others exposed, as well as systemic problems with the entire justice department, including all-too-cozy relationships between judges and prosecutors.
The Final Word-
Kane received emails from her sister in 2009, not last week, and Kane was NOT part of A.G. office, like Fina and friend were, and there is no indication that Kane sent emails.
Her sister should be punished in line with punishments handed out for similar infractions.
jmarshak-
1) Eakin has his buddy and former staffer pose as an “independent investigator” into his email for review by the board. Clear conflict of interest that Eakin withheld.
2) Eakin recently conspired with another supreme court judge to fill an appointment in the board that was to review him.
These are more serious breaches of ethics than the emails.
He has not “lost his job”, as some whiners whine. He has only been suspended WITH PAY at $200K/yearly. Hardly a stiff punishment.
AG Kane received the same stuff from her sister, who she’s protecting.
Has Eakin resigned yet?
Kathleen Kane committed perjury. Michael Eakin sent some emails. But only Eakin deserves to lose his job.
That photo makes me feel bad for him. But it isn’t like he is going to jail (yet).