PA Bill Number: HB335
Title: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons.
Description: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons. ...
Last Action: Removed from table
Last Action Date: May 1, 2024
PA House Majority Leader opens door to (Atty. General) Kane impeachment :: 08/10/2015
A statement released Friday by House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) calling for Attorney General Kathleen Kane to resign left open the possibility of impeachment of the state’s top law enforcement officer if she refuses to step aside.
“It is time Attorney General Kane puts the interests of the people of Pennsylvania before her own. It is time for Ms. Kane to step aside," Rep. Reed said in Friday's news release. “We will be closely monitoring the case as it moves through the courts and weighing our options as a legislative body if there is no other action taken to remove her from office.”
He argued the gravity of the charges brought against Kane—which include obstruction of law, perjury, and official oppression—cannot be understated.
“The multiple allegations of misusing the office – which is directly related to the performance of her duties as Pennsylvania’s chief law enforcement officer – raise serious concerns about her ability to continue to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth, and make it virtually impossible for her to function in her current position," he said.
He added while she has the right to defend herself, Kane’s defense will serve as a “distraction” from Pennsylvania’s more serious problems like drug cartels and the heroin epidemic, which impair the lives of Pennsylvanians every day.
As charges were brought against her Thursday by Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, Kane maintained her innocence and said she would not be resigning from office.
"I am very disappointed the district attorney has made the decision to pursue this case. I have maintained my innocence from the day these allegations surfaced and I continue to do so today," she said in a written statement. "I remain committed to leading the Office of Attorney General and doing the job the citizens of this Commonwealth elected me to do. A resignation would be an admission of guilt and I'm not guilty."
According to Article six, Section five of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the sole power of impeachment rests with the House of Representatives. In Article six, Section six all impeachments must be tried by the Senate and no person shall be convicted without two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Senate Republican Caucus spokesperson Jenn Kocher Friday told The PLS Reporter that Senate Republicans are not making any specific calls for the Attorney General to resign, noting that decision is a personal one to be made by Kane.
However, she said, since impeachment proceedings must start in the House, the possibility of impeachment is not off the table.
