October 06, 2015
Suspended Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is facing a lawsuit filed Monday by a former prosecutor she fired in April, PennLive reports.
James P. Barker claims that Kane, who faces criminal charges for allegedly violating grand jury secrecy, fired him for testifying before a grand jury.
Barker, who served as head of the criminal appeals section of Kane's office, argues that the firing was a form of retaliation for the testimony and violated his rights to freedom of speech and due process.
He also argues that Kane defamed him.
Barker claims in his suit that he was fired as punishment for giving truthful testimony to the grand jury that investigated accusations that Kane had leaked confidential information from another grand jury "in order to retaliate against former prosecutors who she believed had embarrassed her."
In August, Kane was charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and other crimes for allegedly leaking information from a secret investigation to a Philadelphia newspaper. She was charged with an additional count of perjury last week.
In an issued disciplinary order last month, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously decided to temporarily suspend her license to practice law.
Read more from PennLive here.
