Prosecutors aim to block pornography defense at Kathleen Kane trial

As preparations are underway for the upcoming trial against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, prosecutors have now moved to bar Kane from suggesting that the charges against her were filed in retaliation for having exposed the swapping of pornography between officials using state computers.

On Thursday, prosecutors filed documents asserting that Kane’s claim that she was targeted for prosecution “legally and logically irrelevant,” Philly.com reported. Prosecutors contended that such an argument was designed to distract jurors from the facts in the case.

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“Her selective and vindictive prosecution claim has already been litigated and is not a defense at trial,” documents from Montgomery County DA Kevin R. Steele were quoted by the Times Herald. “Any public efforts to again raise the issue of pornographic emails as trial approaches and commences can only be viewed as an attempt to distract and influence the potential or sitting jury.”

Kane has claimed that the case against her was fabricated in order to stop her from making public her office’s findings that prosecutors, agents, judges and others used government computers to exchange offensive content, Philly.com added. Kane has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations of such content being passed between officials, and a report on that investigation could be completed in the coming weeks.

Kane, a Democrat who is not running for re-election, now faces charges of perjury, obstruction, abuse of office and false swearing in connection to the accusations she revealed secret information to the media and tried to cover up her actions, the Times Herald stated.

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With her trial scheduled to begin on Aug. 8, Kane has pleaded not guilty, Philly.com added.