HARRISBURG, Pa. — In wake of the charges brought against Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane by Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, the AG has made a statement. Read her statement below:
“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.
“I intend to defend myself vigorously against these charges. I look forward to the opportunity to present my case in a public courtroom and move beyond the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that has defined the process to this point.
“Meanwhile, 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.
“I assure everyone the Office of Attorney General will continue to fulfill its mission to protect and serve the citizens of Pennsylvania.”
Kane’s attorney Gerald Shargel released the following statement Thursday afternoon:
“We have listened very closely to District Attorney Ferman’s press conference and we have read very carefully the charging instrument. We intend to enter a plea of not guilty. We say now as we have said before that Attorney General Kathleen Kane is innocent of any wrongdoing. Attorney General Kane conspired with no one. At no time did she believe that she was asking or directing anyone to do anything improper or unlawful. In explaining her conduct to the grand jury she uttered no lie.
“We learned a lot today about the District Attorney’s prosecutorial staff, but in this country prosecutors – however well qualified – do not decide whether an accused person is guilty. That is left to juries. In this case we will seek a fair-minded jury and ask that jury to render a verdict of not guilty. These are charges that can and will be defeated. The Attorney General is determined to fight these charges. We fully expect that Attorney General Kane will be fully exonerated when all of the facts come to light.”
