It took a Montgomery County jury about 4 1⁄2 hours Monday to convict Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane of nine criminal counts related to a grand jury leak she orchestrated — then lied about — in an attempt to embarrass a rival prosecutor. We're surprised it took that long.
Ms. Kane, 50, was found guilty of two counts of perjury, two counts of false swearing, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of criminal conspiracy and another count of conspiracy. She put up no defense during her trial. That's because there was no defense for the repulsive, self-serving behavior of this elected official who defiled the term “public servant.”
Kane, who says she'll resign today, faces up to seven years in prison. And make no mistake, she should go to prison.
With so many Pennsylvania public officials convicted of serious crimes over the past few decades, some people, oddly, might have become inured to the rampant corruption that has become commonplace in this commonwealth. But given Kane's position — the state's chief law enforcement officer — and her crimes — haughtily believing that position entitled her to operate outside the law — she should be sentenced to the maximum term.
The Kane conviction — and all those past convictions of those who chose their weal over the public's — has bred a gross distrust of state government. It leads to the perception that all public officials are crooks. They are not, of course. At least that's what we'd like to believe. Until the next crook is exposed.
