If you believe all of the accusations (or even some of them) about Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane, you know she knows how to play dirty. Yesterday, she was ordered to stand trial for perjury and obstruction of justice charges over allegations she leaked grand jury information in order to discredit her Republican political rival Frank Fina.
The saga between Kane and Fina would fill a season of The Wire, if only it happened a little further south. It’s described by Slate as petty and backstabbing:
Kane declined in 2014 to prosecute Democratic Pennsylvania lawmakers accused of taking bribes in a sting case Fina put together, with Kane implying that Fina was motivated by racism to target Black Caucus members. After Fina fought to have the case reopened, several legislators were later convicted, and Kane suspected Fina of working with the Philadelphia Inquirer on the paper’s unflattering accounts of Kane’s involvement in the case.
In retaliation, prosecutors say, Kane revealed to the Philadelphia Daily News details of grand jury proceedings in a 2009 case led by Fina. The current charges against Kane include “official oppression” stemming from the damage done to the reputation of Jerome Mondesire, head of the Philadelphia NAACP and the subject of the grand jury investigation, which ended without an indictment.
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But you likely already had a passing familiarity with the case (though admittedly the details are fascinating). The real news is how Kane took a cue from The Parent Trap in order to foil reporters.
PA Attorney General Kathleen Kane (in red) sent her twin sister first (front) to divert press. Photo by Clem Murray. pic.twitter.com/MGtZMGuoGA
— Philly.com Photos (@PhillyLens) August 24, 2015
See, Kathleen Kane has a twin sister. If there is one thing I have learned from soap operas, never lose track of the twin.
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AG Kane's Twin sister distracts reporters. Kane wearing red dress. pic.twitter.com/Q3N6dX2cey
— Dan Clark (@Danclark08) August 24, 2015
Otherwise you’ll wind up with egg on your face like these hapless reporters that got great pics of Ellen Granahan, and not so many of actual defendant Kathleen Kane. Kane even wore a power red dress to the proceedings and still went (largely) unnoticed. She is trolling the press so hard right now.
Pennsylvania AG, Facing Trial for Perjury, Uses Twin Sister as Courthouse Decoy [Slate]