Obviously, Ms. Kane is now a sinking ship. I had high hopes for her, but she has gotten flattened.
it's lonely at the top
it's lonely at the top
Kane's chief of staff quits
- Thread starter lionlurker
- Start date
Google "Cozen O'Connor Rendell"
interesting array of search hits. That firm wields a lot of clout in Phila and PA by extension.
interesting array of search hits. That firm wields a lot of clout in Phila and PA by extension.
Quite a few items of interest there.
Here's one: Gaming Chief's Exit Stirs Debate ...
Nice selection from philly archives.
This post was edited on 4/3 2:25 PM by mn78psu83
Here's one: Gaming Chief's Exit Stirs Debate ...
Nice selection from philly archives.
This post was edited on 4/3 2:25 PM by mn78psu83
A Patriot News editorial is now calling for her resignation
Attorney General Kathleen Kane should resign: Editorial
By PennLive Editorial BoardThe Patriot-News
April 03, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Attorney General Kathleen Kane has become so embroiled in controversy, and has raised so many questions about her judgment, with the almost certain prospect of more legal problems to come, that the best way she can serve the citizens of the Commonwealth is to resign.
The state's chief law enforcement officer needs to be laser-focused on enforcing the law. Kane cannot help but be hopelessly distracted as she tries to fend off those criminal charges and defend her questionable overall record in the court of public opinion.
Given the turmoil at the top, it's fair to wonder how the attorney general's office can get any significant work done on high-level matters.
And the worst is yet to come. It is hard to believe a Republican district attorney who is running for county judge will pass up the political coup to be scored by bringing the charges that a grand jury recommended against Kane, a once-rising star in the state's Democratic Party.
Even though her adversaries are guilty of exactly the same kind of grand jury leaks she is accused of making, the state simply cannot have the spectacle of its chief law enforcement officer embroiled in a trial on allegations that include perjury and obstruction of justice.
No single one of Kane's many mistakes, missteps and misjudgments was, by itself, a decisive blow.
Stone after stone has been piled on the scale of judgment against her.
https://twitter.com/share?url=http:...n piled on the scale of judgment against her.
Not the possibility of criminal charges arising from her admitted leaking of information that may or may not have been secret grand jury material.
Not the questions about whether she properly dropped an investigation involving a northeast Pennsylvania casino operator, who later gave her a $25,000 campaign donation (which Kane returned).
Not the questions about her decision to drop the sting that caught Philadelphia area legislators taking cash and gifts from a favor-seeking undercover lobbyist.
Not the way a key part of her justification for dropping that sting fell apart upon further scrutiny.
Not the way she claimed, without evidence, that delays in bringing the Sandusky case enabled him to continue abusing victims.
Not the offhand, reckless way she suggested that child pornography was part of the disgusting scandal she uncovered among the good ol' boys at the attorney general's office.
Not the decision to accept plea deals without any jail terms in the Pennsylvania turnpike pay-to-play scandal.
Not her department's decision to promote Kane's arguably well-qualified twin sister to a position investigating child predators.
Not the way key members of her staff flee after working only short tours of duty with her.
The scale of judgment has tipped
What is fatal to Kane's ability to remain in office is the sheer number and persistence of the questions about her work.
Stone after stone has been piled on the scale of judgment against her, and it has finally tipped solidly to the side that requires her to resign.
In fairness, we note that Kane has made some gutsy calls based on reasonable professional judgment.
She refused to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage because she believed it was unconstitutional - and the courts proved her correct. (She did, however, go overboard in making a political spectacle out of announcing her decision.)
As a prosecutor, she had legitimate concerns about the way the bribery sting against Philadelphia legislators was conducted, especially her predecessor's deal that allowed a questionable informant to escape more than 2,000 charges for systematic, wholesale defrauding a program serving low-income children and seniors.
Taken under different circumstances, her decision not to pursue charges arising from the sting - the same decision her Republican predecessor seems to have quietly made -- might have withstood public scrutiny. But her resume is filled with too many questionable calls and too much unjustifiable controversy. She needs to resign.
This post was edited on 4/3 2:54 PM by Sullivan
Attorney General Kathleen Kane should resign: Editorial
By PennLive Editorial BoardThe Patriot-News
April 03, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Attorney General Kathleen Kane has become so embroiled in controversy, and has raised so many questions about her judgment, with the almost certain prospect of more legal problems to come, that the best way she can serve the citizens of the Commonwealth is to resign.
The state's chief law enforcement officer needs to be laser-focused on enforcing the law. Kane cannot help but be hopelessly distracted as she tries to fend off those criminal charges and defend her questionable overall record in the court of public opinion.
Given the turmoil at the top, it's fair to wonder how the attorney general's office can get any significant work done on high-level matters.
And the worst is yet to come. It is hard to believe a Republican district attorney who is running for county judge will pass up the political coup to be scored by bringing the charges that a grand jury recommended against Kane, a once-rising star in the state's Democratic Party.
Even though her adversaries are guilty of exactly the same kind of grand jury leaks she is accused of making, the state simply cannot have the spectacle of its chief law enforcement officer embroiled in a trial on allegations that include perjury and obstruction of justice.
No single one of Kane's many mistakes, missteps and misjudgments was, by itself, a decisive blow.
Stone after stone has been piled on the scale of judgment against her.
https://twitter.com/share?url=http:...n piled on the scale of judgment against her.
Not the possibility of criminal charges arising from her admitted leaking of information that may or may not have been secret grand jury material.
Not the questions about whether she properly dropped an investigation involving a northeast Pennsylvania casino operator, who later gave her a $25,000 campaign donation (which Kane returned).
Not the questions about her decision to drop the sting that caught Philadelphia area legislators taking cash and gifts from a favor-seeking undercover lobbyist.
Not the way a key part of her justification for dropping that sting fell apart upon further scrutiny.
Not the way she claimed, without evidence, that delays in bringing the Sandusky case enabled him to continue abusing victims.
Not the offhand, reckless way she suggested that child pornography was part of the disgusting scandal she uncovered among the good ol' boys at the attorney general's office.
Not the decision to accept plea deals without any jail terms in the Pennsylvania turnpike pay-to-play scandal.
Not her department's decision to promote Kane's arguably well-qualified twin sister to a position investigating child predators.
Not the way key members of her staff flee after working only short tours of duty with her.
The scale of judgment has tipped
What is fatal to Kane's ability to remain in office is the sheer number and persistence of the questions about her work.
Stone after stone has been piled on the scale of judgment against her, and it has finally tipped solidly to the side that requires her to resign.
In fairness, we note that Kane has made some gutsy calls based on reasonable professional judgment.
She refused to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage because she believed it was unconstitutional - and the courts proved her correct. (She did, however, go overboard in making a political spectacle out of announcing her decision.)
As a prosecutor, she had legitimate concerns about the way the bribery sting against Philadelphia legislators was conducted, especially her predecessor's deal that allowed a questionable informant to escape more than 2,000 charges for systematic, wholesale defrauding a program serving low-income children and seniors.
Taken under different circumstances, her decision not to pursue charges arising from the sting - the same decision her Republican predecessor seems to have quietly made -- might have withstood public scrutiny. But her resume is filled with too many questionable calls and too much unjustifiable controversy. She needs to resign.
This post was edited on 4/3 2:54 PM by Sullivan
I had serious reservations about her ability to handle the job, but I voted for her simply because of Sandusky. She has not acquitted herself well so far and she is obviously in some serious trouble.
It so happens that I am extremely familiar with that connection.
And yes, you are right on the money. There are some very good, honest people in that firm, but like everywhere else money and politics are king. To the people in that firm, Rendell's stature is only slightly below that of Jesus, and perhaps slightly above the Holy Ghost.
And yes, you are right on the money. There are some very good, honest people in that firm, but like everywhere else money and politics are king. To the people in that firm, Rendell's stature is only slightly below that of Jesus, and perhaps slightly above the Holy Ghost.
I voted for Kane and thought she would be good.
It certainly helped her campaign that the Republicans nominated a zero, but I probably would have voted for her anyway on principle. Things work best when the Gov, the AG, and the Auditor General are of different parties. They keep each other honest by ratting out each other on all their crap.
Kane has been in over her head from the moment she arrived in Harrisburg. She took on the Gov and her predecessors without having enough bullets to win the war. Now she's toast, and rightly so. See ya later.
It certainly helped her campaign that the Republicans nominated a zero, but I probably would have voted for her anyway on principle. Things work best when the Gov, the AG, and the Auditor General are of different parties. They keep each other honest by ratting out each other on all their crap.
Kane has been in over her head from the moment she arrived in Harrisburg. She took on the Gov and her predecessors without having enough bullets to win the war. Now she's toast, and rightly so. See ya later.
