AG Kathleen Kane Applauds Justice Eakin’s Suspension

Kathleen Kane, who herself has been indicted for perjury and obstruction, says offensive emails "have undermined the credibility in our justice system."

Kathleen Kane (Dan McQuade). J. Michael Eakin (AP)

Kathleen Kane (Dan McQuade). J. Michael Eakin (Matt Rourke | AP)

Yesterday, Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin was suspended by the Court of Judicial Discipline for his role in sending and receiving emails deemed inappropriate by the court (and by many observers).

Now, Attorney General Kathleen Kane has weighed in on Eakin’s suspension, calling it a victory for her cause to clean up Pennsylvania.

I applaud the Court of Judicial Discipline for its decision yesterday. For more than a year, the contents of Justice Eakin’s emails were known to officials within the justice system. Some chose to look the other way while others chose to call them “unremarkable.” None felt they merited any discipline and all have undermined the credibility in our justice system.

This is yet another step in restoring our faith in our justice system. In the coming months, as the special prosecutor reviews over 1 million of these emails, I expect there to be more of these days. And with each one, we will come one step closer to restoring the credibility of our justice system. We will be one step closer to transforming our system of justice from the one we have to the one we deserve.

The special prosecutor Kane speaks of is Doug Gansler, who took questions after Kane gave a statement at the Constitution Center on December 1st. Gansler and four staffers at his firm, BuckleySandler, will sift through emails found on state servers to search for possible crimes (child porn was explicitly discussed at the presser). He might release some or all of the emails, which could also mean public embarrassment for many.

Kane has been indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice. She’s also being sued by Frank Fina and others.

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