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Ed Rendell: Kane Should Take A Leave Of Absence

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Ed Rendell, who testified on behalf of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane before a State Senate Committee considering her fitness to remain in that position following the suspension of her law license, suggested Kane take a leave of absence until her legal battles stemming from the accusation that she leaked grand jury testimony to a reporter are over.

Rendell told Rich Zeoli on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that would provide her the clearest path of avoiding further legal hurdles in the future.

"If I were the Attorney or if I were advising her, I would've said take a leave of absence. Turn the running of the office over to your first deputy and go from there and wait until the trial. And if she's cleared, then she goes back with full authority and no questions asked. That would've been the proper course in my judgement for her to follow...I would still do that if I were her."

The former Pennsylvania Governor also rejected the idea of the Legislature assessing her ability to remain on the job and said they should impeach her if they want her removed.

"All I was asked to testify on was the issue of can someone with a suspended legal license continue to function as head of the law enforcement office, the Attorney General office, the DA's office and I believe quite sincerely that the answer to that is yes and that the Senate and the House, as I recommended, they have a much better procedure for a wider hearing that can take in account all the transgressions people say Kathleen Kane has been responsible for and that's called impeachment. Impeachment is the better process rather than this 100 year old remedy."

 

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