Pennsylvania AG convicted of perjury, criminal conspiracy

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, once a rising Democratic star in a critical state, was convicted Monday of perjury, obstruction and abuse of office charges.

Kane faced nine charges in connection with leaked grand jury documents in 2014, aimed at tarnishing a political rival. The jury found Kane guilty of lying about her role in the leak while under oath.

{mosads}The leak, of sealed details from a 2009 grand jury investigation, came when Kane tried to take revenge on her rival, former state prosecutor Frank Fina. 

Kane believed Fina was the source of a newspaper story alleging she had ended a probe of political corruption in Philadelphia. Five public officials, including four state legislators, eventually pleaded guilty in relation to the sting operation.

During the investigation, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court stripped Kane of her law license. Most observers saw it as the first step toward her ouster: Pennsylvania’s attorney general is required to have a law license.

Though she continued to fight the charges, Kane, the first Democrat and the first woman to serve as attorney general since the job became an elected position in 1980, said earlier this year she would not run for a second term.

In a statement, Gov. Tom Wolf, a fellow Democrat, reiterated an earlier call for Kane to resign.

“Today is a sad day for the commonwealth and the people of Pennsylvania. Attorney General Kane has been convicted of serious charges. These are unbecoming of the commonwealth’s top law enforcement officer,” Wolf said. “As I have made clear, I do not believe Kathleen Kane should be Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I believed this when she was charged, and today, after conviction, there should be no question that she should resign immediately.”

Kane’s attorney, Gerald Shargel, promised to appeal.

Her defense team did not call any witnesses during the trial.