Rendell tells Senate most AG duties don’t need a lawyer

The committee is examining whether Kane can effectively carry out the responsibilities of her office with a suspended law license. She says she’s innocent of the criminal charges and that the case was concocted in an attempt to stop her from exposing offensive emails exchanged by state officials.Kane also argued that the 1978 law that made the attorney general an elective office, rather than appointed by the governor, means her position is more analogous to governor, lawmaker and judge, so direct removal is not permitted. She had her license suspended by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after being charged last summer with illegally leaking grand jury information to a reporter to embarrass a rival and lying about it to another grand jury.

She has consistently questioned the committee’s constitutional authority to remove her under Article VI, Section VII, and maintains if the Senate wants to remove her, it should be through impeachment.

Kane has said that “98 percent” of her job is administrative and that the office has been functioning smoothly.

Duecker’s testimony goes on to detail changes Kane has made at the OAG since taking office in 2013, such as creating a roving law enforcement unit to help municipalities combat crime, beefing up drug-control efforts, and increasing arrests of child-predators.

The committee is to issue a report to the full Senate within fifteen days.

“I didn’t need to be a lawyer to do those things”, he said.

Kane declined to appear before the panel.

The Special Committee on Senate Address hearing on Tuesday will focus on whether a little-known state constitutional provision should be employed to remove Kane from office, because her job performance is curtailed by the suspension of her law license. The ultimate decision will rest with Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County.

“I’m here to correct the record”, Duecker said in taking the opposite view.

Did the four agency lawyers lie to the panel about the role the attorney general plays, Scarnati asked.

“You can’t be this effective, worldly, well-respected attorney general… but you don’t come to work, nobody knows what you’re doing, you can’t make [legal] decisions, and if you do make decisions, it’s in violation of the law”, Scarnati said.

“How can she … be fighting drug cartels, saving old people but you can’t even tell me when she worked last”, Scarnati said.