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Nomination
PoliticsPA is the first to report Lackawanna County prosecutor Kathleen Kane will run for the 2012 Democratic nomination for Attorney General. -
Jerry Sandusky Investigation
Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News reports former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky is under investigation for allegations he assaulted a minor. Ganim and the paper will later win the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. -
Charges
Sandusky is indicted with 40 charges of sex crimes against underaged boys. -
Paterno's Dismissal
The Penn State Board of Trustees, which included Gov. Tom Corbett, fires long-time head football coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier. The dismissal of Paterno, who worked for Penn State since 1950, infuriates university alumni. -
Paterno's Death
Joe Paterno dies of complications from lung cancer. His death only heightens the outrage of PSU alumni towards Gov. Corbett. -
Bill Clinton Endorses Kane's Campaign
Former President Bill Clinton endorses Kane’s campaign. Clinton’s high-profile support will result in campaign appearances and commercials that propel Kane to the top of the Democratic primary polls. -
Kane Wins Democratic Nomination
Kathleen Kane wins the 2012 Democratic nomination for Attorney General by a 53%-47% margin over former Congressman Patrick Murphy. -
Sandusky is Convicted
Jerry Sandusky is convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse and later sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. -
Freeh Report
The Freeh Report, an investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh commissioned by Penn State, is released. The report is deeply critical of the university’s administration, including Paterno. These conclusions are still contested by many PSU alumni. Kathleen Kane begins to call for an investigation into whether Tom Corbett slowed down the prosecution of Sandusky over political concerns. Among those prosecutors who worked on the Sandusky case was Frank Fina. -
Playing Politics
In a meeting with the Scranton Times-Tribune editorial board, Kane says Gov. Corbett “probably” played politics with the Sandusky investigation. -
Getting Elected
Kane becomes the first elected female Attorney General in the history of Pennsylvania. She defeats GOP nominee Dave Freed 56% to 42% and becomes the first Democrat elected to that office. In her first election, Kane finishes with a higher vote total than President Obama or Senator Casey and instantly becomes the newest star in PA politics. -
Inguguration
Kathleen Kane is inaugurated as the 48th Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is the first woman to ever hold the office. -
Investigater For Hire
Kane hires H. Geoffrey Moulton to investigate the handling of the Jerry Sandusky case. -
Not Defending, Possible Impeachment
The Attorney General announces she will not defend the state’s law against same-sex marriage, further raising her profile. Later, State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe will introduce an impeachment resolution in response to Kane’s stand. -
Runing Against Toomey
Ahead of PA Society weekend, Kane indicates she is open to a run against Senator Pat Toomey in 2016. -
Sting Operation Shut Down
Angela Couloumbis and Craig R. McCoy of the Philadelphia Inquirer publish a story revealing that Kane shut down a sting operation that began in 2010 and was targeting several Philly State Reps. Kane’s office suggests race was a factor in why the investigation was flawed. Her only direct comment concerned those who disagreed with her decision, who she described as “nothing more than the Good Ol’ Boys club playing political games to discredit me in order to fulfill their own selfish and improper -
Lawsuits, Meetings, and Media
Kane hires Richard Sprague and his son to represent her for any possible defamation lawsuits stemming from the sting story. The Attorney General arrives to a pre-arranged meeting with the Inquirer editorial board along with Sprague and lets him speak for her. Sprague indicates that lawsuits may be forthcoming. The move causes a massive media backlash. -
Night Time Emails
Meanwhile, Kane reviews a case in which Fina did not act in an investigation of former Philly NAACP head J. Whyatt Mondesire. She wants to release information about the case against the advice of her staff.
At 12:53 a.m. Kane’s top deputy Adrian King emails her.
“I fail to see how we can legally give . . . access to any OAG [Office of Attorney General] criminal division file materials.”
Kane responds at 3:38 a.m.
“I am well aware of the limitations of disclosing criminal files. . .,” she wrote. -
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Kathleen Kane challenges critic and Philadelphia DA Seth Williams to pursue the sting case. The Attorney General would initially hesitate to hand over the case files but eventually would.
Additionally, Kane described the evidence that led her to believe racial bias was involved in the investigation. “Our special agent in charge put that in a note, in his case note, and did an affidavit to that effect. . . . That is the evidence we have.” Those notes and that affidavit, from an interview between