Pa. special committee issues recommendations to avoid another Kane-like debacle

Consideration of impeaching former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is ending after nearly a year.

Republicans on a special House subcommittee, however, issued a slew of policy recommendations based on misconduct the group found during its inquiry.

The House panel began investigating Kane for possible impeachment in February.

The panel’s fairly sure Kane won’t hold office again, so following through is not really necessary, said committee chairman Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery.

“Because she’s been convicted criminally, which also acts as a bar to holding office in the future, from a practical standpoint it just didn’t make sense to move forward now,” he said.

In the report deferring impeachment proceedings, Stephens and the other three GOP lawmakers on the panel included a list of ways to prevent a situation like Kane’s from happening again.

It includes adding more legislative oversight for government offices and making sure whistleblowers are protected from retribution.

Stephens said those protections are particularly necessary.

“I was shocked at how egregious some of her behavior was, and really how pervasive it was,” he said. “It was a consistent theme that she managed through fear.”

None of the Democrats on the panel signed the report.

Stephens said he and others intend to introduce legislation next session to begin addressing these concerns.