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Kane Aide Still Getting Paid Despite Conviction

reeseKathleen Kane’s driver is still drawing a paycheck.

According to Wallace McKelvey of the Patriot-News, Patrick Reese is continuing to receive his $99,658 annual salary (along with $62,000 in benefits) despite being charged, convicted of criminal contempt and sentenced to 3-6 months in prison.

This runs counter to a policy signed by Kane herself in 2013 that called for employees to be suspended if they were charged for activity related to the job. If convicted, there are supposed to be fired.

“The attorney general has the ultimate authority to make the final decision on discipline,” Kane’s spokesman Chuck Ardo responded. “She has chosen to wait until Mr. Reese’s appeal is heard before acting.”

Reese illegally searched emails in order to find information on the officials in charge of the investigation into Kane as well as the AG’s political enemies.

While it is not clear why Kane has shown such favoritism towards Reese, her actions have been noted by her employees.

“There are one set of rules for Kane and her inner circle,” one staffer told McKelvey. “And another set of rules for everyone else. It didn’t start out that way, but that’s the way it is.”

67 Responses

  1. We hate it when our stories back-fire!!! No fair !!!!
    WAH … Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … … WAH … … … … Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  2. The PA Press is part of the problem, Denny. They are helping the people who help them. It’s exactly how the system ought not work. A corrupt group of “insiders” got together to run an end-around on due process.

    The following article lays out how they operate:

    The PA Corruption Network’s Playbook

    The similarities between the prosecution of Kathleen Kane and of the PSU 3 reveal the “playbook” of Pennsylvania’s corruption network

    The cases of current Pennsylvania Attorney General (AG) Kathleen Kane and that of former Penn State University (PSU) officials (i.e., the PSU 3) are connected by a common thread.
    A group of the Commonwealth’s attorneys, judges, political operatives, and their media accomplices — hereafter referred to as the “network” — used trumped-up charges, purposely misinterpreted laws, and oversold highly dubious evidence to convict these individuals in the court of public opinion [before anything got to Court which is where truth comes out].

    After examining the timelines and evidence of these cases, it appears that the network has a well defined playbook for taking out its targets and it works like this:

    1. Individuals within the network fear their own heinous acts may be exposed and publicly accuse their opponents of crimes as a means of deflecting attention away from themselves.

    2. The network next co-opts individuals close to the target(s) –insiders — to assist in setting up the target(s) to be charged with perjury and other crimes.

    3. After the insiders have sufficiently undermined the targets (using various means of deception), the network’s attorneys and/or judges leak damaging information about the targets to the media.

    4. The media arm of the network uses the information in an attempt to compromise the targets or to promote guilt by association in the press.

    5. At the conclusion of this “framing,” that was mislabeled as a criminal investigation, attorneys go public with charging documents that allege crimes based on misinterpretations of the laws and that are chocked full of questionable testimony from unreliable witnesses, completely illogical scenarios, and dubious evidence. Perjury charges are standard in order to publicly smear the defendants as being dishonest individuals while attempting to pump up the veracity of the Commonwealth’s lousy witnesses (who would be eviscerated at an actual trial).

    6. The media accomplices ignore the illegal application of relevant laws, that the charging documents are illogical, the lousy witnesses, and the highly questionable evidence in order to continue treating the allegations as facts and even go as far as to allege the target committed crimes for which he or she has not been charged.

    7. The public falls for the deception and believes the targets are guilty of everything and are corrupt individuals — whether they have been charged with a crime or not. Citizen activists, public officials, and other groups and individuals — who are beneficiaries of the corrupt network — jump on the media bandwagon to publicly condemn the targets.

    8. Witting and/or unwitting employers recommend the targets be relieved of their duties or actually do so through employment actions — before anything is proven and without conducting a legitimate legal review.

    9. When legal proceedings in the cases reveal the false and questionable testimony put forth in the charging documents and the dubious evidence used in the case, the network’s media arm ignores the information and continues to slant the reports so the public continues to assume the targets are guilty.

    10. The legal issues from the misapplications of the laws result in appeals to the network’s judges, who refused to rule on simple matters and keep the trials on permanent hold. If the cases make it to trial, the targets [may] be convicted of lesser crimes — that the media will treat like crimes of the century.

    The network’s playbook achieves the goal of protecting its corrupt dealings and/or heinous crimes by never legally proving, but publicly scapegoating the targets in a media firestorm that is high in supposition and light on facts.

    To wit: the grand jury and Montgomery County DA Risa Ferman did not find the evidence to charge AG Kane with directly leaking grand grand jury information in the Mondesire case, but you wouldn’t know that if you just read the news headlines.

    Instead, they charged her with perjury (part of the playbook), lesser crimes, and for orchestrating the leaks, the latter of which Ferman and others know can’t be proven.
    Then again, the network’s playbook doesn’t include actually prosecuting the case [or treating their targets fairly].

  3. Denny is the RETARD troll.

    Stay away from children, Denny. Castrate yourself while you are at it!!!

  4. The anti-Fina people on this thread are painting themselves as idiots. This is about Kane and Reese, not Fina. It’s getting to the point where I’m thinking, “Idiots attack Fina, so Fina must not be that bad.” Talk about Fina in threads about Fina. Otherwise, shut the hell up before you reveal yourselves to be troglodytes, and ignorant at that.

  5. Castor only had final authority over legal decisions. He runs field operations and decided matters of law. Everything else, Kane remains in charge including hiring and firing. As the person setting policy, Kane may deviate from her own policies as she sees fit. Castor is second in command in these areas and may only advise. So while Castor is steering and navigating the ship, Kane decides where it goes. Reese was not convicted of a criminal offense. Contempt is an offense against the court, not against the Commonwealth. Castor would certainly know this. Castor is an advisor only when it comes to personnel, spending resources, and fixing policy. He is in charge of all cases and investigations. Kane is still the boss in all other respects. Castor had stabilized the function of the office, but he has little say on Pat Reese or anyone else unless they are not doing their job in which case Castor can fire them. That’s it. Castor is nuts and bolts only. Which is good because as a politician, he’s not very good.

  6. I am surprised the name calling waited this long. Only thing missing is Diano commenting about how Kane is awesome.

  7. You are correct. Although one could argue the armchair use of the term felon is applicable. He is in fact a convicted criminal. Thanks for pointing out my misstep. So to recap. Kane, whose office is responsible for enforcing the law is paying 100k to someone who broke the law. Doesn’t change the fCt that Kane is clearly a hypocrite.

  8. Careful Mr. Sponge Bob. You can get sued for calling someone a felon who is not a felon. Words have meaning. Mr. Reese is not a felon.

  9. None of these Fina posts change the fact that Kane is corrupt. Reese is a felon who should not be collecting a government salary.

  10. PPA – Can you PLEASE delete these comments??? This is the kind of stuff that gets people like us arrested by the Feds. Seriously … can you just delete them?!? Just think of all the stories Frank gave you over the years. We will not do well in prison!!

  11. Fellas – How was it that the Fina crew ended up with Harry Levant’s criminal case??? Harry is Bob Levant’s brother. Bob Levant is Fina’s lawyer … and Tyron Ali’s lawyer … and allegedly Seth Williams’ criminal attorney too.

    SOMETHING IS ROTTEN AT THE DA’S OFFICE !!!

  12. We did work the same magic for you, Harry. Just keep your mouth shut!!

  13. Hey Bro – If you and Fina could make sure Tyron Ali got no jail time, why not me? Why can’t you guys work the same magic for ME!?! Can I keep the money I stole too?

  14. Frank Fina is NOT corrupt! And he is NOT a racist. He is my husband’s client in a money-driven lawsuit and he is a great guy! Trust me!!! GREAT GUY

  15. No law has been broken by AG Kane — and that includes the leak allegations. The charges were trumped-up. The people behind them are DIRTY.

    Frank Fina claimed he had an ethical duty to report leaks. Did he report his buddy, Judge Barry Feudale when Feudale e-mailed Craig & Angela at the INKY about illegally leaking protected material? Oh wait … Feudale said he got put in touch with Craig & Angela by Frank Fina!!! And then CC’d Fina on his e-mails to the INKY. How cozy!!!!!!!! Didn’t Fina have an ethical duty to report that too?

    Fina is corrupt. Plain and simple.

  16. Never said it was against the law. It violates policy and sets a bad precedent and now puts the policy in question. Anyone else who violates this policy can now question the applying of the policy. Kane is corrupt, plain and simple.

  17. Nothing illegal about retaining Reese. What law is Kane violating. Be specific.

  18. whether Fina is a scumbag or not has nothing to do with the fact that Kane is a hypocrite and keeping a criminal on the payroll shows that Kane is corrupt. Kane should resign or at a minimum allow Castor to decide on the handling of Reese.

  19. Is my probation getting revoked? Am I going to be in more trouble because of you Bob? Because of Kathy?

  20. Ha3 – Great points. The PSU case is a huge case in PA (and across the country). If they aren’t protecting Fina, then I do not know what they are doing.

    They certainly didn’t hold back on coverage when the charges were filed!! But now that most of the charges have been tossed and the high Court found that the prosecutor (Fina) acted improperly — CRICKETS.

    This is the sad state of “journalism” nowadays.

  21. Greg – I beg to differ. If there are rules that apply to all employees, they should apply to all employees. I understand that Kane thinks the prosecution was a political one. But the policy is what the policy is. She could easily exempt certain types of “crimes” from the policy if she so desires.

  22. This article is just another example of the SLANTED media. Nowhere on PPA do they talk about the absolute gutting of Fina’s Penn State case. The Court threw out the majority of Fina’s charges. Nowhere on PPA do they discuss the Superior Court’s finding that Fina’s conduct was HIGHLY IMPROPER. Or that he lied to the Court.

    What about Fina’s license suspension? Did that happen yet? if not – why not?

  23. I fail to see how keeping a convict on the payroll strengthens her case that everything is just a result of the old boys network covering up for porngate or Sandusky or whatever. It just makes her look like a fool. If she had a shred of credibility left, she would have run for re-election. I don’t excuse the behavior of Fina or Williams, or Corbett or anyone. But that doesn’t absolve Kane from doing her job between now and January.

  24. Is this the part where we pretend that a city employee who gets convicted has to be fired under the law? Hog-wash. This guy was doing exactly what his boss told him to do. if she fired him, he would have a huge lawsuit. Better he have to continue to work for his money.

  25. Spongie — the truth will come out at Kane’s criminal trial. Can’t wait!!! Let’s not pretend the Press has not been in bed with Fina & The Corbett Pervs. It makes you look pathetic.

  26. In my book – PA would be better off if both Reese and Fina were removed from their respective offices.

    Of course – the risks are higher with Fina. He is a lawyer and a prosecutor and can continue to do damage that Mr. Reese cannot. Just yesterday, Frank Fina refused to follow a court order to disclose evidence in the Salvation Army collapse case — a case where he again as accused of racism.

  27. As usual, the unhinging happens when the truth comes out. When Fina is charged with a crime they will run a story, until then this is an actual issue. This is why she is corrupt!

  28. Leave me out of this!!

    So what if I represent Frank Fina on a $$$-driven lawsuit against the OAG and Kane?!? So what if I also represented Seth Williams when the FBI came knocking …So what??!!??

    And so what if my wife just got a six-figure job she has zero qualifications for. SO FRIGGIN WHAT …

    And, for the love of God, please don’t mention my brother – attorney Harry Levant. We need to keep what happened in my brother’s criminal case VERY QUIET.

  29. Huge problem there, gulag. Huge.

    For some reason, the Press is giving them a pass. Haven’t read anything from Nick Field on that topic.

  30. Fina, Seth, and their lawyer’s wife are all on the Philly DA payroll. No problem there?

  31. Let’s see — the DA’s Office represents victims of sexual assault. They employ women and minorities and represent women and minorities at trials. Prosecutors are supposed to be honest. They are not supposed to be bigots. Lying to the Court is a crime.

    Frank Fina was just found to have lied to a Judge. The Superior Court called his conduct “highly improper.” His e-mails suggest that statutory rape is OK if the female has large breasts. And he is a racist.

    City Councel, the NAACp, NOW and many other leaders have called for Fina’s removal from the City’s payroll.

    Where’s Seth Williams? Paging Seth Williams!!! The last time Seth Williams spoke on this, he said he needed all the e-mails. He said he would re-evaluate when he has all the e-mails. Still waiting … … …

  32. Ha ha ha
    Are you a relative of Kane. You tirelessly decent her nonscience despite knowing you are wrong. You have to admit and please don’t deflect, she should fire Reese

  33. Great but since this article is about someone else maybe we can focus on them. And the difference is Fina has yet to be charged with a crime. Reese was charged, had trial, found guilty and sentenced. So this is a little different than people clicking an answer in a poll.

  34. Let’s see, there is a policy, that has been in effect spanning multiple AG’s that Kane herself reaffirmed but because it was one of her confidants, lets ignore the policy. Yeah that’s the action of an upstanding and quality leader. But the guy who tries to protect women in the office from a thoroughly investigated and confirmed harasser gets fired. Makes total sense to democrats of course.

  35. There is a corrupt prosecutor working in the Philadelphia D.A.’s Office. He is collecting a salary from taxpayers.

    The Superior Court recently found that his grand jury conduct was highly improper.” He lied to the Court. His name is Fran Fina. He also used his government computer on racist e-mails. Why hasn’t he been fired?

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