The real question about former state Attorney General Kathleen Kane's 10- to 23-month sentence is not whether it's harsh enough for her, but whether it's harsh enough to deter other state officials from further crimes.
Convicted of nine counts related to orchestrating, then lying about, a grand jury leak in an attempt to embarrass a rival prosecutor, Ms. Kane might count herself lucky, as she faced up to 24 years behind bars, according to The Associated Press. Yet her sentence's real test will be whether it halts, or even slows, the parade of officials who've betrayed the public's trust in Pennsylvania, the State of Corruption.
Among those who've done just that in recent years are two former House speakers, a state treasurer and a former state auditor general and treasurer. Yet even among this rogues' gallery, Kane stands out in the worst way, having egregiously perverted the office of Pennsylvania's chief law enforcer.
Her conviction informs other officials that even the state attorney general is not above the law. Her sentence tells them that any and all corrupt officials can end up behind bars — as they should, and as she richly deserves.
Still, the cesspool that is Harrisburg remains rife with temptations for those inclined to turn public service to self-service. Pennsylvanians can only hope that Kane's punishment for her execrable behavior will suffice to stem their commonwealth's noxious tide of public corruption.
