Attorney General Kathleen Kane Declines To Run For A Second Term

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The first woman and first Democrat elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania says this term is her last.

"I am announcing that I am not seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general," Attorney General Kathleen Kane declared Tuesday afternoon at a Scranton press conference, just hours before the deadline to file nominating petitions.

Kane said it was difficult -- especially since polls showed her in the lead ahead of her Democratic challengers: Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, Northampton District Attorney John Morganelli, and Montgomery County commissioner Josh Shapiro.

"I love being the attorney general. I love serving the people of Pennsylvania. I hope that they know that, and I hope that they feel that," she said.

But going through a divorce with young teenage children, Kane said her family came first.

"This was not an easy decision for me," Kane said. "While I love Pennsylvania, I love my sons first. I am a mother first and foremost because at the end of my life I hope that history judges me well. But that's for time to tell. I hope more that God and my sons judge me well."

Kane said the full-time job of being attorney general was conflicting with her job as a mom.

"As you all know, being a single mother, God gave me two arms and God gave us 24 hours in a day. That in itself is a full time job," she said.

Kane embraced a platform of reform, and she says she lived up to that.

"I told you I would fight corruption, and I'm fighting corruption, regardless of the personal cost to me," said Kane. "I told you I would protect our children, and we are protecting our children, and I told you we would fight these drug wars, and we are fighting these drug wars."

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But it was her investigation of the Sandusky case, the refusal to defend laws against gay marriage, and the release of pornographic, sexist, and racist emails between certain prosecutors and state Supreme Court justices that grabbed headlines.

But Kane has also been embattled legally.

This summer she will defend herself against criminal charges that she leaked secret grand jury information and lied about it, accusations she specifically denied to KDKA political editor Jon Delano on July 16.

Delano: "Are you guilty of perjury?"

Kane: "No, no."

Delano: "Did you violate the grand jury process in any way?"

Kane: "No, I don't believe that I did."

But after she was indicted, the state Supreme Court suspended her law license, calling in question her ability to serve as attorney general.

Kane said she's paying the price for speaking out against a corrupt, racist, sexist old boys' network.

"I know that speaking up comes at a great personal cost. I know that. I get it, but when we serve the people of Pennsylvania that is our duty," she said.

While she avoided immediate removal by the state Senate, she still faces an impeachment investigation in the state House.

But Kane says for the rest of the year of her term, she will continue to speak out.

"It's wrong when we don't," Kane said.

A clear signal that this feisty attorney general will leave office as she began it.