Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced on Tuesday that she is stepping down, Reuters reported, following her conviction in a perjury trial.
“I have been honored to serve the people of Pennsylvania and I wish them health and safety in all their days,” Kane said in a statement.
Kane was found guilty on all charges on Monday during a jury trial in which she faced two counts of perjury and 10 misdemeanor counts of abusing the powers of her office.
In a separate statement, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said “[Kane’s] decision to resign is the right one, and will allow the people of Pennsylvania to finally move on from this situation.”
The trial centered on a scandal in which she allegedly released sealed grand jury documents to the press with the intent of damaging her political rival and former state prosecutor, Frank Fina.
Kane and Fina’s longstanding feud stemmed from a Philadelphia Daily News article published in 2014 that accused her of trying to stop a corruption investigation into Philadelphia officials. Prosecutors said Kane believed Fina was responsible for leaking the story to the press.
Separately, Kane became embroiled in the Jerry Sandusky molestation case after she claimed to have found inappropriate emails from officials involved in the matter that she said were uncovered during a re-examination of the Sandusky investigation.
Kane alleged the charges in her perjury trial were levied to prevent scandalous findings surrounding that case from being released, Reuters noted.
Bruce Castor, Kane’s deputy, will take over as acting attorney general.
Kane could face up to seven years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 24.
As reported by Business Insider