Report: Legal Matters Involving Kathleen Kane Cost State $3.6M
Legal matters surrounding embattled former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane cost the state office $3.6 million, according to current Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Kane, who resigned in August, was given a 10- to 23-month jail sentence in November of 2016 after she was found guilty of illegally leaking secret grand jury information to the Daily News in an act of revenge against former prosecutor Frank Fina. She was convicted of nine counts, including perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of office.
Philly.com reports that Shapiro said a bulk of the costs incurred derive from the investigation Kane launched into pornographic emails exchanged between government officials on state computers (see: Porngate). The office reportedly paid law firm BuckleySandler $1.8 million to foot the probe.
In addition, Shapiro listed the following costs: $877,000 for legal fees associated with employee lawsuits surrounding Kane, $191,000 for legal representation for the office’s employees at Kane’s trial, and $790,000 for civil settlements, according to the Associated Press.
Shapiro reportedly called the amount “extraordinary” and said it is “completely incomparable” to costs incurred under Kane’s predecessors.
Kane began the process of appealing her perjury conviction and jail sentence in November. She remains free on bail.
Follow @ClaireSasko on Twitter.
