No answer
There’s an old adage about attorneys that goes something like this. When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. And when neither are on your side, just argue.
That seems to be at least a little of what Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is doing these days.
Elected in 2012, Kane is accused of leaking grand jury information to a reporter at The Daily News, a Philadelphia newspaper, and then lying to an impaneled grand jury about the alleged incident. She faces charges of obstructing the administration of law, official oppression, perjury, criminal conspiracy and false swearing.
Kane called a press conference on Wednesday supposedly to address the allegations. But she did nothing of the sort, instead claiming the charges were related to her office uncovering thousands of pornographic images and other related videos and messages being “sent and received on government computers on government time,” during her examination of the handling of the child sex abuse case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky by her predecessors.
“My defense will not be that I am the victim of some old boys’ network,” Kane said. “It will be that I broke no laws of the commonwealth. Period.”
Kane called upon Montgomery County Court Judge William Carpenter, who oversaw the grand jury proceedings, to release the names of both the senders and recipients of the emails and their content.
Last year, Carpenter issued an order that stated that the employees of the attorney general’s office were not to have access to transcripts of the grand jury proceedings, exhibits or other information tied to the investigation.
The release of the information would clear her of any wrongdoing, she added.
“Let me be clear; I am calling for the whole story to come out,” she said. “A story that is critical to my defense against these charges.”
While it’s possible that the pornographic emails have some vague connection to the charges she’s facing, it would have been far better for Kane to address the question of the grand jury leaks directly and answer any questions from the media.
Oh, that’s right, Kane didn’t take any questions from the media. After first saying she would take questions during the press conference, Kane said she was advised by her legal counsel not to take them.
Kane’s actions have many in Harrisburg calling for her resignation, including fellow Democrat, Gov. Tom Wolf, who questioned how she could carry out her duties while defending herself against the charges.
Republican legislators agreed with Wolf, including state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, and state Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Perryopolis. They both said that the charges would be a distraction for Kane and prevent her from giving the time necessary to do her job.
However, Kane did find a supporter in state Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township. “I support what she is doing,” he said. “She has been the target of a political witch hunt since she was elected to office.
“She should be afforded the court process to determine her guilt or innocence,” he added.
While Kane will find comfort in Mahoney’s support, it’s unlikely that will be enough to stem the calls for her resignation. The pressure for her to step down will continue to mount, most likely from Republicans and Democrats alike.
Simply put, it’s hard to see how she can continue doing her job while facing such serious charges. And unless she can come up with a better defense than blaming her charges on pornographic emails, it’s unlikely that she’ll win over any of her detractors.
Arguments alone certainly won’t do the job.