The breathtakingly rapid rise and agonizingly slow decline of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane mercifully ended Wednesday August 17th with her resignation one day after her conviction on nine criminal counts, including perjury for leaking grand jury information. Her departure dropped the curtain on the last two-and-a-half years of turmoil and dysfunction in the state’s top law enforcement department.
Kane’s conviction appeared inevitable ever since the Montgomery County District Attorney criminally charged her last year after one former top aide and a political consultant testified against her. Her political fate was perhaps inevitable. She was a political novice who created a long running and self-destructive feud with other prosecutors and law enforcement officials.
Kane’s resignation had to be a relief – if not to her, then to the voters of Pennsylvania, the attorney general’s employees, and to most of the state’s elected officials who dealt with her. Her tenure in office was a disaster.
Recently, the state legislature twice moved unsuccessfully to oust her from office while Governor Tom Wolf and multiple Republican and Democratic lawmakers repeatedly called for her resignation. Last year the state Supreme Court indefinitely suspended her law license while she continued to remain in office.
This brief synopsis of the Kane ordeal recapitulates only the “what” of Kane’s spectacular fall; the “why” seems more important if we are to learn from this sordid chapter of state history.
Pennsylvania’s long and notorious history of graft and corruption stretching back to Civil War days provide no perspective on Kathleen Kane. She was not corrupt as that term is usually understood nor does she stand accused of graft or bribery. Her crimes were personal and political, not economic or financial.
She saw enemies everywhere and to be fair some were even real. The act that first unhorsed her – leaking grand jury testimony – is not that uncommon and rarely prosecuted.
Moreover, Kane believed the state’s male-dominated political establishment was threatened by her historic victory as the first elected woman attorney general in the state. She railed against this “old boy’s network” throughout her tenure.
But her response to her enemies – real and imagined – was grotesquely distorted, unbalanced and frenzied. American political scientist Richard Hofstadter famously described the “paranoid style” in American politics; he could have been describing Kathleen Kane.
Kane often seemed to lack the temperament needed to fulfill the duties of a statewide elected official. Her much-documented quarrels with senior aides illustrated this: she had eight spokespersons in less than four years as well as a veritable revolving door of top deputies and other senior aides.
Probably most reflective of her lack of professionalism was a long running feud with Frank Fina, the prosecutor who headed the case against the former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky case who went to prison for sexually abusing children sexually. Many of Kane’s problems were directly linked to attempts to discredit Fina who she blamed for trying to discredit her. The impulse for revenge and retaliation seemed to obsess her.
It was more than political paranoia that felled a politician who many believed – before her troubles began – was on a career trajectory that would land her in the governor’s office or higher.
Kane’s inexperience in high office hobbled her from the beginning. Typically, statewide office in Pennsylvania is only achieved after years of experience in elected positions in local government or the legislature. Previous attorneys’ general had been elected district attorneys or had extensive experience as federal prosecutors. Yet, Kane had never run for any office or served in any capacity at the state level before her election.
Many of her early problems can be traced to that very lack of experience. Prior to her 2012 election, she worked as an assistant district attorney in Lackawanna County. But she lacked managerial skills in running a large, complex department, or in the hiring and organizing of a large high-level staff.
Equally fatal was her lack of political judgment. Sound political judgment is perhaps thesine qua non of the successful statewide politician. Kane exhibited poor political judgment almost from the beginning, early on shutting down a promising corruption investigation, awkwardly threatening to sue a Philadelphia newspaper for printing unflattering stories about her, and ignoring staff advice again and again.
Her stunning refusal to prosecute a sting operation involving four Philadelphia lawmakers and a traffic court judge – four of whom were successfully prosecuted by the Philadelphia district attorney – left the impression she was both politically motivated and lacked prosecutorial integrity.
The appearance of blatant partisanship was even more evident in her handling of the pornographic email scandal that engulfed her office – initially releasing only the names of individuals with ties to Frank Fina and former Attorney General and Gov. Tom Corbett. The litany of political miscues, wrongheaded decisions and self-inflicted wounds continued throughout her time in office.
Some have likened Kane’s political demise to a classic Greek tragedy. She was cut down by character flaws she neither recognized nor controlled. Politically paranoid, she lacked experience in high office, frequently used bad judgment, was temperamentally ill suited for state politics, and tended to make enemies rather than allies. She was routinely motivated by the need to seek revenge or recrimination.
And like a classic Greek tragedy, it is hard to see how her story could have turned out differently. That is her tragedy – and it was ours.
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161 Responses
SpongeBob-
For someone who doesn’t care, you sure do respond a lot. But, as usual, you are wrong. It DOES matter that the other leakers weren’t investigated ESPECIALLY leaks of the very grand jury indicting Kane. That’s a high level of hypocrisy for even a governmental backed witch hunt. The only thing I can think that tops it is how the house members who tried to impeach Clinton all had done much worse from cheating on their wives to molesting little boys. (Gee, maybe this explains your propensity for hypocritical impeachments.)
For the religious (or even fake religious), I offer some wisdom attributed to Jesus: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.”
You and your anonymous cohorts (and alter egos) have a lot of stones to throw, but not the stones to acknowledge your double standard.
Unsanctioned R-
Her “no regrets” statement was clearly about the good work she was able to do catching bad guys and helping people. Yeah, she could have said: “I regret that the lying motherf*ckers who leaked my case got off scott-free to due to a rigging a system to protect themselves.” But, she was trying to be nice/positive.
She didn’t say: “I regret losing my job and law license”, because, again, she was trying to be positive/hopeful toward the future.
She can’t say (as you seem to expect/demand): “I regret leaking the documents” because she’s never said that she leaked them in the first place. So, that statement wouldn’t make any sense.
And, yes, she is a “small fish”. She had a high ranking office, but she wasn’t the head of a large criminal enterprise or endeavor with multiple sets and layers of illegal activity. Now, someone like Johnny Doc, would be considered a “big fish” for all his political influence and (alleged) bribery, threats, violence, etc. So, despite that Johnny Doc is not an elected government official like Kane, he would be a much bigger fish.
I hope that clarifies my definition/use of the term for context.
I wonder if Teresa approves of Brett’s use of the R word. I wonder if Brett gave Kane any advice on how to handle hearing that guilty verdict. It’s too bad Kane will likely get less time than Cott did.
Oh yeah!! Kane’s twin sister …. She is HOT too.
Oh look – now the troll can’t master all-caps:
“The TRUTh”
He might really be retarded!!
Why didn’t she release all the emails?
David, you said I couldn’t be upset with her behavior until all others agreed with your call to go after the small fish. Yeah whatever, makes total sense.
And she has “no regrets” to the crime of leaking the grand jury rpt. The one you think she should have redacted but has “no regrets” about releasing as is.
David, i could care less whether you believe me or not. What I continue to find amusing is that super teddy didn’t tell you how idiotic you come across when you justify Kanes actions by saying other leaks occurred. You seem to continue to want to blame everyone but Kane even though she clearly committed the crimes she was charged with. One doesn’t justify the other.
COTT still posing as a (Brandy)female again and guess what you bought up the topic of sex with kids. If that person was arrested how is he able to post here. Wouldn’t the cops have taken his computer. But I’ll find the guys lawyer and show him that you’re his client of committing other crimes. I’m sure that will be enough to start an investigation. Maybe sent you back to the nut prison you got out of.
Brett COTT …you not what in the end you’re still a convict who got sent to a prison where
They send prisoners with mental problems. You are obsessed with talking about gay sex at rest stops and like accusing other people of things they didn’t not like you. YOU are so dumb cause you got caught . How’s it feel to be owned. Because you are owned by The TRUTH
Here’s “THE TUTH” about the pathetic pedophile troll that posts here all day and night under “Unsanctioned R” and “SpongeBob” and 700 other screen-names. This is him:
http://abc27.com/2016/05/13/ag-york-county-man-used-facebook-to-solicit-teens-for-sexual-photos/
He tried to get my son to send him photos. I hope he rots in prison!!
Oh yeah – I almost forgot: FUCK ISRAEL TOO
What you talkin’ bout, sklaroff!?! I’m the one who blows men. Fina already tried to move in on my action. Now you too? Go fuck yourself.
rsklaroff-
I didn’t realize that I had to agree with every one of Kane’s positions to meet with your approval or disapproval. I’ve always been for releasing all the emails (though I did enjoy people squirming about whether they’d be in a selective release, and I also did feel they should be redacted of any irrelevant personal information). So, how I am “buckling” by continuing to support a position I had long before? Also, why would I be “stressed”? Kane got to finish all but 4 months of her term (and more than a year after all you witch-hunters were claiming she’d be out any day now).
You are a walking, talking example of “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
which is ironic as you ignore your own inconsistencies.
SpongeBob-
I don’t believe that you post under one handle, despite your many claims to the contrary. There is always someone (like the current “Truth” who mimics too many of your obscure points or brings up something out of nowhere that you haven’t mentioned or argued in months). You (and your alter egos) seem very fixated on who might be Brett.
So, you can keep pretending you post as one person, but I’m never going to believe it, so you can stop wasting your time trying to convince me and everyone else.
I don’t care about her hiring/firing practices or how she ran the office, after the way Corbett and predecessors ran the office. You make it sound like that office never leaked or engaged in racist/sexist office politics.
But, you write: “makes me care not at all about the leaks about her” even though some of those leaks occurred before any of the things that you claim upset you about Kane. (When the real things that upset you were that she was a woman and a Dem and made going after child predators a priority.)
Unsanctioned R-
It makes a lot of sense, if your head is not up your hindquarters. The entire case (and arguments here) are a double standard promoting selective prosecution. I’ve maintained the position that the what Kane did was not isolated to her, but practiced by her opponents who went after her and ignored their own behavior. I didn’t have a problem with Kane getting convicted if everyone else who did worse in attacking her got theirs too. Singling out Kane is my objection to the process. That invalidated the entire proceedings and verdict.
I haven’t heard her say she was proud of her “crimes” (your word). She has indicated she was proud of her term of office and all the predators that got caught, and stopping the sale of the lottery, etc.
Mondesire should have been redacted. I’ve been saying that for over a year and I thought that error deserved some minor penalty (like a fine).
Ain’t that the “tuth,” David. He is sooooooo dumb.
He is an out-of-control FOXtard. His brainless head is going to explode when Katie and Hillary win in November. Trump is trolling Blacks today on Twitter. LOL. The Repervlicans are getting EXACTLY what they deserve after nominating that FRAUD.
Hey Brett or Pat or whatever name you’re posting under. I found a story about where you did your prison time a place which houses prisoners with mental illnesses. I guess that’s why you love trolls and clown cars so much. Imagine that Brett COTT sent to a prison where most of the prisoners have mental illness sure explains a lot.
Cott, a former top House Democratic aide, was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to 2 to 5 years. He was sent to SCI Waymart in Wayne County in northeastern Pennsylvania on July 14. The prison has 1,393 inmates, many of them suffering from mental illness.
This is THE TRUTH
The fact that d4 has now contradicted KK suggests he’s buckling under the stress; we need only blow upon him to yield his tumbling-down.
DIANO…. You are such an a**. Again your failure to respond when challenged is evidence of your stupidity. Your concern with highlighting a spelling error over 1 letter truly highlights what I have continued to say. Everyone realizes what a farce you are.
anyone notice d4 contradicted KK?
David Diano says:
August 18, 2016 at 1:04 pm
All the emails should be released.
https://www.politicspa.com/pa-gov-wolf-nominates-beemer-for-ag/77930/#comments
“When everyone of Kane’s detractors starts calling for the heads of the people that abused their positions/oaths/etc. and leaked against Kane, then maybe you can pretend to be offended by Kane’s behavior.”
That makes No sense, D. BTW, Kane doesn’t agree with you that failing to retract her victims’ names was a mistake. She’s proud of her crimes, remember?
Also David you appear as even more moronic when you address comments directly to the one person here who it’s clear and proven uses a hundred identities. Also ironically you have been accused of the same in other forums. Interesting that you want to bash others for something you yourself have done. Lastly if you never address or seem to care about Kanes convicted driver breaking policy by not being fired or Kane promoting a woman hating chief of staff because he might have been a tag team partner of hers in Haiti makes me care not at all about the leaks about her. Condemn those clear violations of trust and I will happily do the same.
David, so emails exchanged are your proof? I am curious as to where the DA , and judge were recipients and senders of those emails. Oh that’s right. It’s always the emails. Which will likely never see the light of day even though they should. You see you seem to forget that Kane protected plenty of people who sent those same messages including her sister so she is not better than anyone else. Did your teddy Super Anthony tell you to respond that way? Or was it the master of many personalities Brett?
HaHaHa-
Did you notice how he screwed up and used Tuth instead of Truth when he switched handles?
The Tuth (aka The Truth aka SpongeBob and others)-
When you change your user name around so much, you occasionally get caught mistyping it. LOL
A lot of what you and your alter egos write isn’t worth responding to (or has been addressed previously, and I’m not as anal as rsklaroff in my need to rehash it with duplication).
Still waiting for ANY of your personalities to condemn the leaks against Kane and demand some heads on some pikes.
Hahafelon……..You accuse SpongeBob having been arrested of course no proof. But hey here is proof that you were arrested.
HARRISBURG –Bonusgate defendent Brett Cott received a sentence of 21 to 60 months on three charges this morning.
He also received three fines totaling $11,000 and was told to make restitution to the state of $50,000. The sentence was imposed by Dauphin County Judge Richard Lewis, who rejected Mr. Cott’s defense attorny’s plea for probation. Mr. Cott was found guilty on three charges: conflict of interest, theft of services, and conspiracy.
The office of state Attorney General Tom Corbett had argued for a stiff sentence, claiming Mr. Cott had seriously misused taxpayer dollars in running as many as 20 political campaigns in Western Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2006.
Mr. Cott’s attorney, Bryan Walk, had claimed that the prosecution was political and said that Mr. Cott was aqcuitted on 39 of 42 charges brought against him. However Judge Lewis said that Mr. Cott’s offenses were serious and deserved time in state prison.
It left out that you a fat head bulbous baldie who couldn’t even get into a public grade school. Mommy had to teach you. Was it mommy who taught you about stealing? Your a theif and a a liar. Your buddy Diano went from picking on Caucasian to African Americans and by the way didn’t you too.
See – He knows it is true. That’s why the pedophile just switched back to “the truth.” LOL. He needs to be locked away. His latest arrest was by the PA Attorney General’s office. Which explains his animosity towards Kane.
Diano…… Your asinine comments continue. You, of course choose which posts to response to. One rom your lap boys who agrees with you, but never one where you are challenged. Your post of let’s feel bad for Kane because she is a woman dosent address the fact that she was trying to frame an innocent man. Something you Democrats always complain of. Again, it appears that you and your ilk always refer to sex when frustrated. I would caution you not to accuse someone of being having an interest in children unless of course you have proof. Do you? I don’t think so. It seems to me you may have been the one crying like a child when you wanted posts taken off. Maybe time for some reposting.
@ SpongeBob:
d4 doesn’t function on a proof-level; all he does is what typical progressives do…attack without remorse, change the topic, and support anti-Semitic/racist causes/leaders.
Correct, David.
SpongeBob was arrested for watching little boys urinate. He is a sicko.
SpongeBob-
You’re f*cking kidding right? The old boys didn’t want a woman spoiling their fun. They were passing around cartoon “training memos” about women on their knees pleasuring their male bosses.
We know you prefer training children that way.
David what proof do you have that they went after Kane because she was a woman? I mean other than Super Teddy telling you.
rsklaroff-
You need to atone for all your racist (anti-Obama secret Muslim nonsense), your support of Ted Cruz, your support of genocidal killing of innocent Palestinian women/children, and for your general douchery.
I also disagree with the “repeated” broken the law. If you take the leak as one wrong act, everything else was part of it and not new acts. Denying you did something (whether you did it or not) should not be considered an additional count of lawbreaking.
But, we get it. You don’t like women in power, particularly Dems. You prefer people like Cruz who would set back the rights of women, minorities and gays back by decades.
@ Marie:
NOT being enamored of Fox, I would disagree with your effort to console d4, for he has yet to atone; when he laments “no one seems to care the leaks used to attack her,” he again ignores the underlying, trenchant concern that the #1 law-enforcement officer in PA had…repeatedly broken the law.
David – I think it’s ok for the FOX crew to celebrate Kane’s demise. After all – Kane is a female Democrat. And they HATE all smart, powerful women.
Problem for them – Kane will be replaced by a Democrat. The Supreme Court is dominated by Democrats b/c of Kane. Toomey will be replaced by a smart, powerful woman. And the next POTUS will be a smart, powerful woman.
Their heads will soon be exploding. Let them enjoy this.
accidentally hit post button.
3) (continued…) You aren’t the slightest bit interested in redressing any wrongs, and a legislative trial wouldn’t change any of that except to heap more punishment on her for cruelty’s sake.
4) Her gender was the reason they went after her so hard in the first place.
5) Sorry to clue you in, but I’m not required to response to every particular point/post of you or rsklaroff. Sometimes I’m away from this site for a few days or don’t see his postings because they are on a previous page (but, mostly, I don’t even bother reading half his posts).
Unsanctioned R-
I have always agreed that failing to redact Mondesire’s name was an unintentional error and there should be some minor penalty for that. But, no one seems to care the leaks used to attack her. The entire sting operation that leaked (most likely by Fina) led Seth Williams to go after these racially targeted lawmakers for his own political gain. (And the irony of his own gift receiving makes it more tragic.)
When everyone of Kane’s detractors starts calling for the heads of the people that abused their positions/oaths/etc. and leaked against Kane, then maybe you can pretend to be offended by Kane’s behavior.
The Truth-
1) There were certainly people who floated her name for Senate, but I never saw any real interest from her for that and especially not for Governor. Just another made-up claim by you, that again misses my point that she probably has zero interest in any political office after her experiences.
2) Still wondering why you are referring to King as “innocent”.
3) The trial indicated no such thing. You’ve got an over-active imagination.Y
4)
Are you guys even paying attention to what is going on with Seth Williams in Philadelphia? It may be the biggest scandal of the decade. Has a big-city D.A. Ever been arrested by the FBI before? In the history of the United States? I think Aaron is right. I think Seth Williams is about to make history!!
David, she abused her role as head law enforcer, an offense to all law-fearing citizens. She has no remorse and deserves no quarter. Punishing a dirty AG like that is a good lesson for all, including her sons, Beemer’s kids, Mondesiere’s kids, her other victims’ families, etc.
I concur with “The Truth” with one amendment; because d4 PRETENDS to be so resilient, knowledgeable and authoritative [and employs colorful lingo to reinforce efforts to convey he is so “with it”], his unapologetic brand of anti-Semitic bombast is far WORSE than what EVERYONE else uploads on this site.
Diano……..
1. Kane had every interest in this job. She was even looking beyond this to a higher political position such as; senator or Governor.
2. Was she so vindictive that she would frame and imprison a completely innocent man because she was slighted by a completely different man. This frame up would have removed him from his; job, family, and also prevented him from obtaining additional employment in his field of expertise.
3. As the trial indicates it appears that MS. Kane would not stop at anything to accomplish her goals. An investigation is necessary to see if any members within her Office were unjustly fired causing them and there family undo hardship through lack of wages, future employment etc. I firmly believe this type of investigation to redress the wrongs done by her is paramount right these wrongs.
4 Her gender has nothing to do with this. Because of the equality that women, minorities and I could go on have have rightly fought for her actions should be held to the same standard as any male.
5. I agree with rskaroff some of your idiot is posts are not factual, you fail to respond when properly challenged. Your only advantage in this room is that HaHa aka aaron aka Pat Unger and again I could go on who beat you with their stupidity. Rest assured though you are gaining on him.
THE TRUTH.
rsklaroff-
1) Do you think that Kane has the slightest interest in holding office again?
2) She’s got two kids. Are you so vindictive and heartless that you want her future job prospects, beyond the punishment she’s already going to receive? (and still don’t care about seeing ANY punishment for the people that leaked her grand jury)
3) Do you think the state legislature has nothing better to do with its time? (well, the GOP probably doesn’t, since they aren’t interested in properly funding schools or taxing fracking).
4) I haven’t made any false postings. My credibility is fine. The case was always (and remains) a selective political prosecution/persecution. The verdict doesn’t change that.
@ d4:
it was reposted to document the fact that interim-postings were not authored by myself; your hyperbolic reaction suggests that the observation contains an ounce of truth?
@ the risk of being accused of being repetitive, you may wish to rescind your legions of false-postings, now that your gal-pal is going to the slammer; you can start by building upon your prior unique-for-you observation that the end is near for AG-Kane.
remember, your shattered credibility requires rehab; the alternative is ongoing ostracization.
rsklaroff
You posted it once. Why do you feel the need to pollute a new page with the same tripe? It’s not like you have anything new or informative to contribute anyway, but reposting is just lazy (and just annoying).
We all know that HaHa in his infinite stupidity has been posting under different names. That’s why I ended your name differently. HaHa would have recognized it immediately. As long as he continues to rverbally assault defenseless mentally handicapped children he will continue to be exposed with THE TRUTH.
the most recent posting i authored is on the prior page:
The writings on the following website are also incisive and, thus, x-citations are being proffered.
http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/kathleen-kane-war-of-the-stupid/
Kane is old news.
The bigger scandal is Seth Williams in Philadelphia. There are a couple people here who have been ahead of the curve on DA Williams. I remember one of them was Pat Unger or something similar.
And Aaron is batting a thousand on corrupt turds getting EXPOSED. He has had DA Williams in his cross-hairs. Will he be right about that too?
HaHaHa (aka, BRETT COTT), how do those prison jumpsuits fit? Are they comfortable? You would know from your time in STATE PRISON.
Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!
Seth Williams’ political career is over, though. That guy is toast. He should probably get fitted for his orange jump-suit too.
The “gig” is not up on Ha3. He is still OWNING you every day, troll-boy. You should just give up. He is smarter than you (which isn’t saying much).
Isn’t it refreshing to see that haha Brett COTT always comes back with the same reply; prison sex (ok that makes sense he was in prison but why advertise the fact) Brett you aren’t worthy enough to be obsessed over. You are just a big bully that nobody cares about who likes to dish it out but can’t take it especially when it involves wives. We in Pennsylvania are all lucky that Frank Fina and the PA Attorney Generals Office got to you first before you could steal any more money and put you in that prison cell. Hope the police find you in New York in the event of new charges.
I see that BRETT COTT is using different screen names, since the gig is up on his screen name HaHaHa (and also Pat Unger). BRETT COTT is a child in a bald man’s body, calling people names like “retard” and “Repervlican.” I guess BRETT COTT is just still butthurt from prison.
My ex-husband is a pervert homo. He has dirty wet prison sex fantasies about some guy named Brett and is litrrally obsessed with HaHaHa. He is a sick man. Hope the police get him before he hurts someone.