Pennsylvania's New Attorney General Works To Restore AG Office Reputation

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Meet Bruce Beemer, Pennsylvania's new state Attorney General, a Scranton native who now lives in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

"When I came to law school here at the University of Pittsburgh, loved it so much I stayed and have been here ever since," Beemer told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Friday.

Married with two children here, Beemer has learned to commute between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.

"It's very difficult. I have an amazing wife," he says.

Appointed by Governor Wolf and confirmed unanimously by the state Senate to replace Kathleen Kane who resigned in disgrace, Beemer is a long-term prosecutor.

"I've been prosecuting cases close to 20 years, first started with Steve Zappala's office."

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

Beemer then worked for two state attorneys general.

Now he's the state's top law enforcement official and knows his term is short -- just six months.

Attorney General Beemer is not running for election to this office, and he says that's a good thing.

After his predecessor was convicted of corruption, he wants to deliver a clean and highly professional organization to his successor in January.

"Probably the number one priority is making sure that there's a sense both inside and outside the office that we are doing things with integrity and that we are doing things the right way."

Beemer has already made an impact.

"We had to make some changes, some personnel changes. We had to go in a different direction, to provide some different leadership in the office."

And he's reached out to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to reassure them that the a-g's office is back with just one focus.

"We are focused on one thing, and one thing only, that is seeking justice in cases and doing proper and appropriate investigations and prosecutions."