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Kane: I Have Done Nothing Illegal

SCRANTON — The lawyer for Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane plans to hold a news conference Saturday to talk about the newspaper report that say...

SCRANTON -- The lawyer for Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane plans to hold a news conference Saturday to talk about the newspaper report that says a special grand jury is recommending criminal charges against her.

Kathleen Kane could face charges of perjury and contempt if the Montgomery County D.A. decides to accept the recommendation.

Action 16 investigative reporter Dave Bohman spoke with the attorney general Friday afternoon.

When we caught up with Kane, she said she hopes criminal charges will not be filed against her, but she added that if they are, she's ready to fight.

"Pennsylvanians need to know that I have done nothing illegal. Period."

The state's top law enforcement officer condemns the process that may lead to criminal charges against her.

For the past six months, a special grand jury looked into claims that Kane broke the law by leaking confidential information from a 2009 grand jury investigation to a newspaper reporter.

When we caught up with the attorney general outside her office in downtown Scranton, Kathleen Kane claimed she's actually a victim of leaks from the grand jury looking into her case.

"I'm very disappointed that a grand jury that's allegedly investigating leaks has had blatant, illegal leaks from day one," Kane said.

The Montgomery County district attorney will now decide whether to prosecute Kane on criminal charges.

Lawyer Bob Gillespie has an office in Hazleton and was once the Luzerne County district attorney. Gillespie believes Kane will be charged and prosecuted.

"Once that grand jury presentment is handed to me, I have an obligation, I believe, to prosecute that case, unless I find there is a substantial deviation from the law. I do think the prosecutor is likely to prosecute this case," Gillespie said.

"I'm very confident that if anyone takes a true look at these facts and when we're able to give the facts out to the public, they will understand this whole story," added Kane.

Kane has no plans to step down, only plans to step up her defense.

"I promised Pennsylvania that I'd clean up politics as usual. I am doing that, and I will continue to do that as attorney general."

If Kathleen Kane is criminally charged, she is under no legal obligation to step down as attorney general.

For now, she is hoping charges don't get filed, but if charges are filed, she says she's ready to fight.

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