Smart Talk 2016: Kathleen Kane convicted
What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, December 27, 2016:
The top stories of 2016 on Smart Talk series continues Tuesday with the culmination of the Kathleen Kane saga.
Kane, the first woman and Democrat elected as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, has been embroiled in controversy for the last three years. She was considered a rising star in Pennsylvania political circles but the luster came off after a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer was published in March 2014. That story reported that Kane shut down a sting operation that included several state legislators on videotape accepting money from an undercover agent. Kane said the case was weak and targeted African-Americans. The Philadelphia District Attorney took over the case and got convictions.
The narrative was that Kane was furious and suspected a former agent in the Attorney General’s office of leaking the story to the Inquirer. According to court testimony, Kane wanted to get back at the agent so she leaked secret grand jury information to the Philadelphia Daily News about another case the agent was involved with and then lied about doing so under oath.
Along the way there was Kane’s discovery of pornographic and other inappropriate emails that were shared by judges, prosecutors and lawyers. It became known as Porngate.
In 2016 Kane was convicted of perjury and other charges, resigned and sentenced to prison.
Tuesday’s Smart Talk features a recap on one of the most bizarre cases in Pennsylvania’s history with longtime Capitol reporter and author Brad Bumsted and Kane’s former spokesman Chuck Ardo.
