Williams Revamps Senior Leadership in D.A.’s Office

Kathleen Martin is the new Chief of Staff, General Counsel and Chief Integrity Officer for the DA's office. George Mosee is the new first assistant DA.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams created a new position in his office today: Chief of Staff, General Counsel and Chief Integrity Officer. He appointed Kathleen Martin to the new position, in addition to promoting George D. Mosee, Jr. to first assistant district attorney.

“Ms. Martin brings experience in Pennsylvania criminal law as well as a deep knowledge of the history and unique facets of Philadelphia courts and criminal practice,” Williams said in a release. “I am very proud of the work we have accomplished in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office so far and am excited about the opportunity to strengthen the office and to help the 600 men and women of the office make a difference in our city.”

The District Attorney’s office has been rocked in recent months by the Porngate scandal, with everyone from state senators to Senate candidates to City Council members calling for the firing of three city prosecutors who sent or received pornographic and/or offensive emails while working for the state.

In addition to porngate problems, the Inquirer reported Williams is the subject of an FBI investigation tied to campaign spending. The upside for Williams is that it may not go anywhere. “Typically, enforcement of campaign spending regulations is relatively lax, particularly in Pennsylvania,” Citified’s Patrick Kerkstra wrote when the story broke in August. “Under state law, any expense that meets the standard of ‘influencing the outcome of an election’ is considered a permissible expense. And there are plenty of city officials who have chosen to interpret that standard very broadly.”

Mosee has been the deputy district attorney for the DA office’s juvenile division since 2002. He replaces Ed McCann, who submitted his resignation today. McCann had been a prosecutor with the city for 23 years.

“It’s humbling to be asked to serve as the First Assistant District Attorney and so I am going to do all I can to help District Attorney Williams with his ongoing reforms and initiatives to make this office the very best it can be,” Mosee said in a statement. “My family and I love this city and so as a prosecutor and a Philadelphian I’m always ready to make Philadelphia’s neighborhoods and streets safer.”

Martin, the new chief of staff and integrity officer, did her undergrad at Villanova and her law degree at Temple. She has practiced criminal law in state and federal courts in Philadelphia, and was most recently an assistant district attorney in Pike County, Pennsylvania.

“I am looking forward to working with District Attorney Williams and the office’s highly skilled group of prosecutors and professionals to make this office even more effective moving forward,” Martin said.