Summary: Kathleen Kane has considered answering questions at a press conference about allegations brought against her, a move many attorneys say is a terrible idea.
According to My Fox Philly, Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvania’s attorney general, is expected to answer questions on Wednesday. Criminal defense attorneys warn that if Kane makes a statement that prosecutors can show is false at trial, they will impeach her and attack her honesty.
Kane’s driver, Patrick Rocco Reese, told a judge that he is not guilty in the controversy.
Reese has been accused of sneaking into confidential grand jury material at Kane’s direction. He faces a misdemeanor charge. Specifically, he has been accused of using a special email system to look into the grand jury information. Reese, a former police chief, is now the head of Kane’s security.
Read about the investigation here.
Risa Vetri Ferman, a Montgomery County District Attorney, has argued that Reese was snubbing a judge who issued a protective order over the information. Prosecutors argue that the move was part of Kane’s “war” on those who criticize her.
Ferman said, “This is war. This was her war, based upon the evidence, conducted without regard to the rules, without regard to the law and without regard to any collateral damage the battle might entail.”
Kane faces charges of leaking grand jury information to punish enemies and lying about it under oath. According to the New York Times, charges were filed last week.
Kane has argued that she is not guilty. She boldly marched into county offices on Saturday to have her fingerprints taken and posed for her mugshot. According to Philly.com, Kane stated that the charges against her were part of a plan to conceal pornographic and racially insensitive emails that were distributed between prosecutors and judges.
Fred Tecce, a former federal prosecutor, commented on the possible news conference. “What’s the upside? I mean, how can this possibly help her? The answer to that question is it can’t.”
Kane was the first woman elected as the state’s attorney general.
Tecce said that Kane would be playing with fire if she answered questions. He explained,”If she makes some statement to try and say that she did not do x, y and z, and the commonwealth knows that she did x, y and z, she gets on the witness stand, they’re gonna beat her over the head with that.”
However, Kane’s troubles are far from over.
A State Government committee in the Pennsylvania House has received a resolution to impeach her. Additionally, Gene Stilp filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to have Kane disbarred.
Read about the perjury charges here.
Tom Wolf, the governor of Pennsylvania, said, “I have called on her to resign. I think she should. I am not sure how she continues to do her job and defend herself against the charges she is defending herself against.”
Source: My Fox Philly
Photo credit: Philly.com, Twitter (Ferman), panitchlaw.com (Tecce)