Metcalfe Pushes Kane Impeachment

Member Group : News Releases

Representative Daryl Metcalfe
12th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ty McCauslin
724.772.3110
RepMetcalfe.com / Facebook.com/RepMetcalfe
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2015

Metcalfe Reintroduces Greatly Expanded AG Kane Impeachment Resolution

HARRISBURG — Yesterday, State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) reintroduced his House Resolution calling for the impeachment of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane.

"During her most recent diversionary media spectacles, Attorney General Kathleen Kane has repeatedly stated that she will not resign from office even if charged with any of the multiple grand jury recommended criminal charges which range from leaking investigative evidence to perjury," said Metcalfe. "From day one, she has displayed a blatant disregard and disrespect for our state Constitution and the rule of law. The simple fact that the grand jury has recommended criminal charges has completely destroyed Kane’s credibility and effectiveness to enforce the laws of this Commonwealth, which makes now the time to reintroduce this greatly expanded impeachment resolution."

According to the updated Articles of Impeachment now contained in House Resolution 435, "While high profile situations involving Attorney General Kane have received a considerable amount of press attention, she has made numerous other decisions that reveal a disturbing pattern of abuse for the office’s constitutional, statutory and ethical duties."

In addition to the grand jury recommended criminal charges, these include, but are not limited to:

• Failing to perform the duties of her office in relation to defending the laws of the Commonwealth such as Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act.

• Mishandling the investigation of a number of public officials for alleged violations of the Election Code, the Ethics Act and the Bribery Statute. Following Kane’s March 2014 decision to drop this sting investigation based on her claims that it "was not prosecutable and tainted by racism," Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams took over the case. Thus far, the outcome of Williams’ efforts have proven that such investigations can be successfully conducted without partisan or racial considerations. Of the six public officials who are the subject of this investigation, two legislators have thus far pleaded guilty and resigned from office, one legislator has a tentative court date in August 2015 and two additional officials have pleaded guilty.

• Unlawful modification of existing firearms reciprocity agreements with Florida, Virginia and Arizona.

• Kane’s decision to promote her sister to chief deputy attorney general in the Child Predator section. The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission found that the selection process to fill the vacancy in this important position created a perception that the promotion was not free of the attorney general’s influence.

• Earlier this spring, the attorney general fired James Barker, chief deputy attorney general, after he gave testimony to a grand jury last fall that appeared to contradict Kane’s own claims that she didn’t violate any laws. Montgomery County Judge William Carpenter ordered Kane to appear at a hearing to review her decision to fire Barker, who was under a protective order after providing testimony against Kane.

A number of other Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General staff members have also been fired in recent months. Among them is George Moore, the attorney general’s human resources director, who urged Kane to fire Chief of Staff Jonathan Duecker due to accusations of sexual harassment. Duecker, who became Kane’s acting chief deputy, has also been driving a vehicle that was seized in a drug case for over a year, despite a state law that restricts the use of such vehicles.

"Kathleen Kane is not above the law, yet she has created a Constitutional crisis by refusing to perform her assigned role as the Commonwealth’s chief law enforcement officer," said Metcalfe. "Regardless of the current grand jury situation, the attorney general is failing the citizens of this state and no longer deserves to be sitting in that office. If she is not removed by her own resignation or through some other criminal proceeding, then impeachment by the Legislature becomes the most appropriate mechanism to rectify her repeated pattern of unethical misbehavior in office and abuse of power."
###
TM/db
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this information in error, please contact the sender and delete the message and material from all computers.
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this information in error, please contact the sender and delete the message and material from all computers.