EXCLUSIVE: Kane Asserts Innocence & Intention To Fight Back
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In her first sit-down television interview this year, Attorney General Kathleen Kane took some direct questions from KDKA political editor Jon Delano.
Delano: "Are you guilty of perjury?"
Kane: "No, no. As my mother said once, she wasn't the greatest kid in the world, but she was never a liar, and I have no reason to lie."
But that's exactly what a grand jury said Kane did when she denied leaking grand jury information in Philadelphia.
Now a Republican district attorney in Montgomery County is considering whether to charge the Democratic attorney general criminally.
Delano: "Did you violate the grand jury process in any way?"
Kane: "No. I don't believe I did. I've been in the grand jury for many years as a prosecutor, and I don't believe that I did. That's going to be up to the district attorney to decide. It's going to be her decision. I am fully cooperating with her and her office. Certainly not interfering with her decision at all."
But, regardless, Kane says she has no intention of quitting her job.
Delano: "If the Montgomery County district attorney charges you, will you resign as attorney general?"
Kane: "No I won't, Jon. I'll do exactly what I've been doing for the past 13, 14 months, however long this has been going on. I will handle it, and I will continue to do my job, the job that voters elected me to do."
The attorney general insists she can separate her personal defense from her day-to-day job as attorney general.
"Sure I can. I've been doing that already."
Kane acknowledges the issue comes up even at home with her two young teenagers.
"They're aware of it and we talk about it sometimes. But I'm their mother and I say to them all the time, 'I want you to know I've done nothing wrong and everything will be all right,' and they say, 'mom, we know that.'"
Kane says it helps to stay focused on her job
"I immerse myself in my work and my family. I think our office is doing such great things. It energizes me all the time."
And lest anyone doubt her political intentions in 2016, "I've always been running for reelection next year."
The first Democrat and the first woman to hold this office, Kane says she's not done.
"You fight for the things you believe in. I believe that things need to be changed. That change is now fighting back against me. It is definitely a fight I am ready for, and I will take to the very end," says Kane.
Her platform is clear.
"Child predator arrests are up 800 percent in my administration, drug arrests are up 30 percent. We have the nation's first mobile street crimes unit that's now on its third deployment."
And she cites consumer protection actions like intervening in the UPMC/Highmark dispute to make sure no one loses coverage.
"We're going to fight that fight every single day."
But hanging over it all are possible charges against her by the Montgomery County DA.
It's a long way from now until the 2016 primary and general election, and Kane knows she has no control over whether she is criminally charged.
But she leaves this impression that this is one tough prosecutor and politician -- who is not backing down -- and will take her case for re-election directly to the people of Pennsylvania.
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