Kane 'Very Disappointed' In Charges Filed By Montco DA

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane responded to allegations made by Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman Thursday, maintaining her innocence.

“I am very disappointed the district attorney has made the decision to pursue this case,” Kane said in a statement. ”I have maintained my innocence from the day these allegations surfaced and I continue to do so today. I intend to defend myself vigorously against these charges.”

“I look forward to the opportunity to present my case in a public courtroom and move beyond the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that has defined the process to this point.”

“Meanwhile, I remain committed to leading the Office of Attorney General and doing the job the citizens of this Commonwealth elected me to do. A resignation would be an admission of guilt and I’m not guilty.”

“I assure everyone the Office of Attorney General will continue to fulfill its mission to protect and serve the citizens of Pennsylvania.”

Ferman said in a press conference aired on 6 ABC at 11 a.m. Thursday morning that Kane would be charged for releasing information from a grand jury and then lying about it.

“We allege that she lied about her own actions and other matters simply to support her version of events,” Ferman said.

Kane, 49, was not arrested on Thursday “as a courtesy,” Ferman said, because she lives out of town. But she is expected to turn herself in within the next two days.

The Democratic attorney general is being charged with obstruction of the administration of law, official oppression, conspiracy, false swearing, and perjury, among other charges.

Few local Democratic officials made immediate comments on the charges, but Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Rob Gleason immediately released a statement.

“Today marks yet dark chapter in Kathleen Kane’s tenure as Attorney General,” Gleason said. “It seems like every week there’s a new scandal involving the alleged corrupt activities of Democratic elected officials such as Kathleen Kane, Rob McCord, and Chaka Fattah. How are Pennsylvanians supposed to have confidence in our government when our own Attorney General is under indictment?”

U.S. Rep Fattah (D-PA 2) was indicted on July 29 in a bribery and money-laundering scheme.

Kane’s driver and “special agent on executive protection detail,” as described by Ferman, will also be charged.

Patrick Rocco Reese allegedly snuck into grand jury files in violation of a protection order issued by a judge, repeatedly obtaining confidential information.

Ferman said that similar to Kane, Reese has not yet been arrested, but that “arrangements would be made” for his surrender.

“Ladies and genetlemen, this is a sad day for the citizens of Pennsylvania,” Ferman said after reading off the charges. ”We stand up and do what is right every day. When someone entrusted in upholding the law and violates that oath, we are all victims.”

Kane’s spokesman told Philly.com that she ”vigorously denies” any wrongdoing.

After she thanked assistant district attorneys and law enforcement that helped in the investigation, Ferman specifically thanked the members of Kane’s staff.

“I would like to specially thank the members of the attorney general’s staff who displayed moral courage to share information they had,” Ferman said gravely. “It takes tremendous courage to tell on your boss. They took great risks, personally and professionally, and I thank them.”

A grand jury panel, led by Special Prosecutor Thomas Carluccio, found in December that Kane should be charged with everything that she was charged with on Thursday. Carluccio did not advance the charges but sent the panel’s conclusions to Ferman.

The panel said Kane allegedly illegally released grand jury documents to the Philadelphia Daily News in March 2014 regarding a 2009 investigation by prosecutor Frank Fina, and later lied about it.

Fina was investigating J. Whyatt Mondesire, the former head of the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP. No charges were brought against Modeshire.

Carluccio’s panel alleged that Kane gave the information about the investigation to the press in order to embarrass Fina and show that he did a poor job.

Kane reportedly blamed Fina for a story run by The Inquirer alleging that she illicitly shut down an inquiry into Philadelphia Democrats accepting cash from an undercover informant, Philly.com reports.

Fina was a prosecutor for the Republican attorney generals that held the position before Kane.

“No one is above the law; not even the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the Commonwealth,” Ferman said near the conclusion of her remarks Thursday.