Grand jury says state attorney general orchestrated leak and coverup
Image of Kathleen G. Kane from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
A grand jury in Norristown, Pennsylvania, recommended in December that the state attorney general be charged with perjury for allegedly orchestrating the leak of grand jury information about a critic and then lying about doing so.
“We find that that the testimony of Kathleen Kane was not an honest account of the events, and she mischaracterized events to cover up activities undertaken at her direction to unlawfully release documents subject to grand jury secrecy,” said the report (PDF) , adding: “Attorney General Kane’s disclosure of grand jury information constituted a breach of her official duty and constituted an unlawful act that impaired or prevented the administration of law or other governmental function.”
The leak at issue, to a newspaper reporter, concerned a grand jury report in 2009.
Kane has said she broke no laws and a spokesman told the the Tribune Review that she was truthful in her grand jury testimony and “remains committed to serving out her term and looks forward to clearing her name.”
Released Monday, the grand jury’s report about Kane was given in December to Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, notes the Philadelphia Inquirer.
At last report, Ferman was still investigating. Citing unidentified sources, a Harrisburg Patriot-News article earlier this month reported that warrants had been served on Kane’s office seeking evidence, including the AG’s emails.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also has a story about the release of the grand jury report.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Grand jury recommends perjury charge against Pennsylvania AG; she vows not to resign”
ABAJournal.com: “Pennsylvania Supreme Court seeks ethics probe for leak of sealed document in AG case”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Judge orders embattled state AG to show why she shouldn’t be held in contempt for axing prosecutor”
Associated Press: “AG Kane set to argue against judge’s contempt hearing”
