HARRISBURG – House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) called for Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane to step aside in the wake of criminal charges being filed against her on Thursday.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman charged Kane with perjury, false swearing, abuse of office, obstruction and contempt of court for allegedly leaking secret information to a Philadelphia newspaper and then lying to a grand jury about it.
Reed issued the following statement in regard to the Kane indictment:
“The gravity of the charges outlined by the Montgomery County district attorney against Attorney General Kane cannot be understated.
“The multiple allegations of misusing the office – which is directly related to the performance of her duties as Pennsylvania’s chief law enforcement officer – raise serious concerns about her ability to continue to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth, and make it virtually impossible for her to function in her current position.
“While she, like any American, is entitled to due process through our court system and remains innocent until proven guilty, the people of Pennsylvania are also entitled to an attorney general whose sole focus is on protecting their safety. With drug cartels and a heroin epidemic endangering the lives of our citizens on a daily basis, we cannot afford to have such a distraction impairing the operation of the attorney general’s office.
“It is time Attorney General Kane puts the interests of the people of Pennsylvania before her own. It is time for Ms. Kane to step aside.
“We will be closely monitoring the case as it moves through the courts and weighing our options as a legislative body if there is no other action taken to remove her from office.”