64 Responses

1. “During Corbett’s administration, Fina and others worked non-stop on Bonusgate…” Really? So the jokers who brought us the stinkpot known as Bonusgate are also behind the Kane cesspool? Of course, makes perfect sense.

   Let’s review Bonusgate, for those who came in late. Let me borrow a few cogent paragraphs from an astute observer:

   “No, when it comes to perp walks, Tom Corbett and his goodfellas gave Pennsylvania a clean sweep by arresting such hardened “criminals” as Al Bowman, the poor staffer for PA. Senate Whip Brett Feese, who was put through the ringer before finally having many of the charges dropped in exchange for Corbett’s desired results: A GOP gubernatorial victory in 2010. In securing this brass ring, all Corbett and his buddies in the AG’s office had to do was scare the crap out of dozens of legislative staffers, officials and political operatives — except for Jane Orie — and threaten them with indictments.

   “Oh, Tom Corbett cleaned up Harrisburg, all right, just in time to claim the throne, thanks to the backing of PAGOP leaders like Rob Gleason, Bob Asher and Leroy Zimmerman. Corbett was THEIR GUY, even as Corbett and his zealously aggressive AG prosecutors spent years and millions throwing a few people in jail, all so Corbett could take control of the state of Pennsylvania and, for four years with total control of the state, do absolutely nothing.”

   http://www.lauravecsey.com/twelve-eighty-two-blog/imagine-tom-corbetts-former-top-prosecutor-afraid-porn-emails-would-be-used-to-intimidate-him-and-silence-others

2. Multi-Tasker-

   “During Corbett’s administration, Fina and others worked non-stop on Bonusgate and Sandusky” ?? seriously? The reporting indicated that Fina dragged his feet on Sandusky. The work on was mostly “non” and “stop” rather than non-stop, until they got pressure about the story going public.

   kanesdriver-
   You couldn’t even make the squad on Brooklyn 99.

3. Montco PA Dem: Better numbers? Kane in her press conference selectively chose “numbers” to make her look more effective. Child porn cases might be up, and that’s simply a matter of devoting people and resources to it. During Corbett’s administration, Fina and others worked non-stop on Bonusgate and Sandusky. Both of those endeavors were highly successful in terms of numbers of convictions and the ripple effects. Had there been no deliberate corruption in the Capitol and no serial child predator, they could have been running up the numbers in some other area.

   I suspect that if you did a broad accounting, the OAG has not been more productive under Kane.

4. The only thing happening here is Thomas gets a name-clearing hearing…How is this a loss for Kane? or win for Thomas?This hearing will definitely be great entertainment. I think this is a win for those who enjoy legal entertainment…that is all folks.

5. This entire smelly stew has been cooked up with equal parts of political incompetence by Kane and cutthroat vengeance by an unholy alliance of defeated Repubs and career prosecutors running for cover after their cushy, porn-watching day job got yanked away from them. The thing is, through it all the AG seems to be putting up better numbers than any of the hack Repubs that held the office before her. So I’m not sure how that equates to justice being broken here.

6. HaHaHa: Enough balderdash. Kane’s plight has litle, if anything, to do with pornographic e-mails, innuendo, or personality conflicts. Kane has been targeted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) because she is an ally of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and because of her involvement in a scandal that has yet to be disclosed to the general public. DA Risa Ferman, Judge William Carpenter and others have (under extreme pressure) done the FBI’s bidding.

7. So strange that “NEPA Moderate” is typing the same things Fina and his cronies have been typing here for months. LOL ….

   Nice try, though.

8. U.S. News & World Report, a major news publication, now has a feature entitled “The Sorry State of Justice” – and an image of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is prominently displayed. The feature cites Kane as “evidence that the criminal justice system is broken.”

9. The highly partisan Mr Diano spews progressive liberal crap here about every day. I guess he doesn’t have much else to do.
   As a resident of NEPA who has watched this womans career as AG unfold in a pretty small town, Kane is an inexperienced incompetent who spent no time prosecuting cases before running for AG.She had a reputation as an empty pants suit when her campaign started. She married a ton of dough. She used that money, her good looks and false accusations against AG Corbett to get elected.
   She is the most political partisan AG in the history of the Commonwealth. There is no place for his kind of behavior in the office of the AG. Period. She made her bed, it’s time to lay down in your own dirty nest.

10. David,

    Keep watching those cop shows on television. I bet if you bingewatch Blue Bloods on Netflix you could claim that you have graduated from the National Academy. Keep trying little boy.

11. aint nobuddy every gonna force cathlen kane outta office she been genral attorney for long time she aint done nothing rong,

12. Oh boy!! You know Claude Thomas too, Sponge Bob SquareShill?

    What a coincidence.

13. Convoy – where do you get that information?

14. Wow JD, wonder if that’s the hands on Chief of Staff? The guy who was a paper pusher and not really a man on the street. Wow that was hard to figure out. Also Claude Thomas would never, I mean never ever ever target someone over race. That is not that mans style. I hope they pay you by the comment Diano cause you certainly do try to earn every penny.

15. kanesdriver

    Just as I thought.. you’re all talk and no credibility. Keep hiding in the shadows with the other cockroaches.

    Why are you playing with initials? Name JD and title if you’re leveling an accusation.

    However, did they get the name of supplier/source before release? If this person is on the run, is there a wanted poster or manhunt that I missed? Usually, if someone escapes custody, it makes the news (or would have been mentioned by Kane’s detractors sooner).

    Next you’ll be telling us that Kane offered to guard him herself, sent the other guards away, and he became her secret lover, and she let him escape. Right? That’s how your attacks work, isn’t it?

    Convoy-
    I don’t know the statute they broke, but making a deal before they had jurisdiction and the full facts and case file sure looks like collusion with the goal of securing a political result in exchange for a non-sentence.

    That does seem like an abuse of office.

16. The FBI is looking into Fina and Seth Williams for communicating with the Philly bribe takers before they had the case. Apparently, Seth and Fina offered deals to them even before the Philly DA’s office had the case. I don’t know what’s illegal about that but that’s where to questions seemed to be directed.

17. Jessica.

    Do you think that David would be shocked to know that Kane’s boy JD ordered a drug dealer out of jail because they promised to inform on their source? Would David be surprised to know that despite the objections of the regional director JD ordered he be released? What would David say if he knew that this violent drug trafficker is now on the run thanks to the OAG under the leadership of Kane and her COS?

18. PU or Platinum or whatever you’re calling yourself.

    I know Claude. How is irrelevant. I don’t have a dog in this fight. I just know what is right and what is wrong.

19. David,

    I am truly done with you. You simply are an uneducated fool. I usually enjoy bantering with people. However, like I have said time and time again you are what’s wrong with politics. Party of everything else.

20. Kanesdriver
    “The FBI didn’t “drop” the case. They never adopted it for prosecution. I don’t know why they didn’t adopt it”

    1) You are stating a distinction without a difference. Dropping it is 100% the same as not trying to prosecuting it. “Drop” means to stop, not to continue, not to pursue, to give up etc.
    You left out the reason that they knew the case was racially motivated and Ali would have made a sh*t witness (especially how he got off their leash with sting money to a bartender)

    2) Ali’s deal was disproportionately lenient given his crimes. Let’s not forget, there’s been no explanation of how these targets were picked. It’s not like they were suspected or accused of past bribery and slipped past.
    Letting a small time drug dealer go to get his suppliers is a good proportional trade off. But, your analogy doesn’t hold to let Ali go, to entrap those six lawmakers, with nothing to show for it but a few wrist slaps.

    I really hope you aren’t in law enforcement, because with logic like yours, you’d be giving immunity to drug kingpins to catch jaywalkers on the street corners where they sell.

    This sting case is an embarrassment. Everyone who ran or pursued it should be disbarred or drummed out of law enforcement.

21. Mr kanesdriver – how is it that you “know” Claude Thomas? You seem to be someone who has a dog in the race here.

22. DD,

    Again, you don’t know what you’re talking about. The FBI didn’t “drop” the case. They never adopted it for prosecution. I don’t know why they didn’t adopt it but my guess is that a) they didn’t want to get in the middle on political football or 2) the amount of the bribes didn’t meet there threshold for a federal prosecution.

    Secondly, yes Ali was given a deal. Just like people are given deals every single day in all walks of criminal cases in exchange for their testimony and cooperation. It happens every day. In fact Kane’s administration also gives “sweetheart” deals to people committing fraud and who deal drugs in exchange for their cooperation. It’s how criminal cases are made. It’s nothing new.

    However, because the targets were democrats you want to defend Kane who dropped the case. Here’s a clue David and one that would have prevented ALL OF THIS MESS.

    Kane had HER people review the Philly sting case. Her people said that there was no evidence of racial targeting that took place.

    A prosecutor has the right to decline to prosecute any case of they so choose. If Kane said, “I looked at the evidence and I just don’t think that it’s a strong case so I won’t prosecute it.” This is over.

    Yet, despite her own people saying there is no evidence of racism here Kane speaks off the cuff and does what she always does. She makes the charge of racism. That was her fatal mistake.

    She then says that she has an affidavit from Claude Thomas that stated he was instructed to target the black caucus. In fact there never was an affidavit. It was a “Memo to the File” written by Kevin Wevodau FOUR DAYS AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE in which he wrote the Thomas was instructed to target the black caucus.

    Thomas denies he ever stated that and he sues Wevodau and Kane. I know Claude Thomas. I promise you he would never target or agree to target anyone based upon their skin color. NEVER EVER.

    David, these are the facts. You can defend Kane all you want but those are the facts and they have been reported time and again. This has nothing to do with porn. Nothing.

23. David D – that makes sense. Is Ali in jail now? Has Fina had to use him in any of the cases against the black legislators? Is this the same Fina who handled the Sandusky case?

24. Marcy

    Ali is the criminal informant/con-man that the sting used to approach the targets, befriend them, wear a wire, give them money/gifts.

    Ali got caught stealing several hundred thousand dollars. Fina and friends offered to let him off the hook to help them entrap some black dem legislators. Ali is black, so maybe they thought he’d do better gaining their trust.

    Ali got special immunity deal. Fina got the deal after Kane was elected, but before she could take office and review the deal.

    Multiple people have posted that the case was known to be flawed (the FBI dropped it) and it was left as a gotcha case for Kane (to lose if she pursued it or look partisan for dropping it).

25. DD,

    So basically when you’re made to look foolish in your total lack of knowledge of the criminal justice system you cry foul. Admit that you don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to this topic and we can move on. Or keep giving us your “expertise” and get made to look foolish even more.

26. kanesdriver

    Nothing you prattle about changes how the targets were selected, why Ali got such a huge pass, why bribery convictions weren’t pursued, why Philly DA allowed such sweetheart deals (hint: avoiding the case falling apart in open court), and why the investigation allowed Ali to give sting money to a bartender.

27. DD,
    You clearly have no understanding of the criminal justice system. Maybe TNT will have a Law and Order marathon on this weekend and you could learn something.

28. David D. – What do you mean when you say Ali getting a pass? Who is Ali?

29. DD,

    You have been made to look foolish for weeks now. In your world as long as the politicians have Democrat by their name any violation of the law that you deem to be minimal should be ignored.

    You have no understanding of the law. You have no understanding of what it takes to constitute probable cause. You have no understanding of what is contained within the rules of criminal procedure. You have no understanding of what is contained in Title 18.

    However, even with this total lack of understanding of those things you continue to come on this website and defend the indefensible along with Platinum and the variety of sock puppets that he uses on a daily basis.

    Come on. Go and google those terms I just laid out for you and let me know what you found out.

30. Kanesdriver

    Sweetheart plea deals, not convictions by a jury. The deals were so sweet, they were better/cheaper than legal fees to win “not guilty” verdicts in court.

31. My understanding is that they are convicted and removed from office. Would you have preferred that since they didn’t do jail time they should have stayed in office?

32. Marcy

    You are correct. They barely got slaps on the wrists. No bribery charges or convictions beyond poor judgment.

    Kanesdriver is saying “Move along folks. Nothing to see here.”

    Clearly he is uncomfortable with the spotlight on the lack of any serious crimes… and doesn’t care about Ali getting a pass.

33. Well, Kane Driver …… My understanding is that they have “remained free” …Am I wrong?

34. Do you know what the results were? Convictions. The same convictions that Kane said couldn’t occur. However, Platinum if you would prefer that those crooked politicians go free and remain in office I guess that works for you.

    You Kane apologists simply won’t see what is clearly before your eyes.

35. What were the results of the legislative sting case? I have been looking to see if anyone went to prison and I don’t see it. I remember reading that the politicians got to keep their pensions. What was the whole point of the prosecution? Maybe the DA’s Office was just trying to make the AG look bad?

36. DD,

    Just stop. You’re clearly out of your depth when it comes to this topic. Seriously, this isn’t an episode of Law and Order. You have no understanding of that this case was about nor do you want to listen to people that have knowledge of it. You would rather put on your partisan blinders and continue to talk out of your butt.

    Just stop.

37. Multi-tasker-

    Why didn’t they offer cash to white GOP legislators, especially committee chairman?
    If they offered cash to every one, or random sample, you might have an argument. But, if you want to go after corruption in Philly, you should be looking at council, or the no show jobs.

    KSDF
    3) or they aren’t doing racial targeting of whites
    But, you forgot to mention that the sting operation was run under white GOP gov and white GOP AG and Fina looks pretty darn white, too.

    The probability of those six targets picked vs the 195 non targets indicates strong racial and political bias. Also, looks like entrapment as well.

    Funny how after all the whining about how Kane dropped the case, no one got convicted of bribery.

    KanesDriver-
    Did Thomas pick the targets?

38. Claude Thomas was never the sharpest tool in the shed but I can promise you that he would NEVER target blacks because of the color of their skin. If Thomas were asked to do that he would have immediately called a press conference and outed Fina for such a racist act.

39. “David Diano says:
    August 19, 2015 at 3:14 pm
    Multi-Tasker-
    You do realize that most of the PA legislature is white, don’t you? Also, most are Republicans (there is GOP majority, and there was Rep governor at the time).
    So, who would be more likely to have influence worthy of bribery:
    six black legislators, in safe seats, in the minority party
    or any of the other 195 legislators who weren’t targeted.”

    When you have a black Democrat President, a black Democrat-appointed U.S. Attorney General, a black Democrat-appointed U.S. Attorney, and a Democrat State Attorney General unable to catch white legislators in sting operations, then either:

    (1) the white legislators are unwilling to pay-to-play, or
    (2) the Democrats that you voted to elect are either corrupt and/or incompetent.

40. If Philly is so rampant with corruption why hasn’t Fina and his special public corruption unit made any arrests since he went to Philly?

41. So Det. Thomas gets nothing out of this except everyone sitting around laughing at him and asking if he is so dumb that he didn’t understand what he was being used for or did he know and not care because he’s an Uncle Thomas? Det. Thomas, you were used and now you look foolish again. I wonder if Fina made racial jokes about you behind your back? I know the answer and so do you Detective!

42. You don’t go to North Dakota to look for Black Panthers. Likewise, you don’t go to Harlem to look for the KKK.

    They went where the corruption is.

43. I didn’t say the briber was getting nothing from the bribe. I’m talking about different kinds of transactions. When is the last time a senior legislator took an out-and-out bribe (i.e., here’s cash for your vote on House Bill 1234)? You are assuming that race was the basis of the investigation because otherwise the Philly legislators did not have much to offer. They had votes to cast in the House, and that was the basis of the bribe.

    None of this matters. This was a group of people willing to take cash. They are not the first or the last to do so in Philly. Philly will be under scrutiny by law enforcement regardless of whether blacks or whites are getting elected there. For now, it’s almost all blacks. That doesn’t make it racist to target the rampant corruption there.

44. Multi-Tasker-

    Why would anyone give money to a legislator who cannot produce a return on their investment?

45. The ability to deliver anything doesn’t really make a difference when it comes to accepting envelopes of cash. The people with big-ticket interests make campaign contributions to senior legislators. Shady people offer envelopes full of cash to crooked legislators. There’s a big difference.

46. Multi-Tasker-

    The legislators pushing for privatization of pretty much everything.

    The legislators under the influence of the oil/gas industry (not a lot of oil/gas/fracking going on in Philly).

47. Dave, can you tell me when Potter or Forest Counties were ever known to be hotbeds of bribery and corruption? They targeted geography, not race, because Philly is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of PA in the corruption department. Philly is even more corrupt than Scranton (where, admittedly, they could have nabbed some white crooks).

48. Multi-Tasker-

    You do realize that most of the PA legislature is white, don’t you? Also, most are Republicans (there is GOP majority, and there was Rep governor at the time).

    So, who would be more likely to have influence worthy of bribery:
    six black legislators, in safe seats, in the minority party

    or
    any of the other 195 legislators who weren’t targeted.

49. Yeah, Dave, or the more obvious answer that Philly is, and always has been, the most corrupt place in Pennsylvania and they just happen to elect black people in Philadelphia. The white people who didn’t get elected are just as corrupt, but they are not in office to take bribes. You libs just love your identity politics though, so you go looking for racism.

50. How’s this for name clearing:

    1) Maybe he really was too f*cking incompetent to realize that the sting was racial targeted

    2) His passing the polygraph doesn’t prove he wasn’t incompetent for not realizing the sting was racially targeted

    3) The FBI dropped the case because of the racial bias.

    4) If he was in charge, then how come Ali was able to give sting money to some female bartender?

    Oh.. wait.. wouldn’t that already be covered under incompetent?

    5) How stupid is the attorney (or how stupid does he think we are) to ask Kane to give up absolute immunity?

    Sample letter Kane could write:
    Dear Det Thomas-

    The case was racially biased. Sorry, you are too blind/stupid to realize it. Have a nice day.

    K. Kane A.G.