Additional Charges Against Pa. Attorney General Headed To Higher Court

By Jim Melwert

NORRISTOWN, Pa., (CBS) -- Additional charges, including another count of perjury, against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, are headed to a higher court, after her preliminary hearing Tuesday in Montgomery County Court.

Prosecutors filed the additional charges after they obtained a secrecy oath from Kane's office, that applies to all grand juries before she was attorney general, including one where she alleged leaked secret information.

The oath was signed by Kane and notarized. Prosecutors say it shows she perjured herself when she made claims before a grand jury that she was never sworn to secrecy regarding the Grand Jury in question, because she was not attorney general at the time.

Her attorney Gerald Shargel claims there was no criminal intent to mislead in her claims, instead he says, his client was overwhelmed when she took office, and she simply forgot she ever signed the oath.

"I think you'll hear over the course of time that this was an honest mistake."

Shargel was asked if there was a chance of a plea deal, he replied, the next step in this case, after a motions, is trial.