New charges in sting set off new criticism of Pa. attorney general

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — New corruption charges against two Democratic Philadelphia state lawmakers set off criticism of Attorney General Kathleen Kane over her refusal to prosecute the case.

Meanwhile, an ex-Philadelphia traffic court judge, Thomasine Tynes, was scheduled to plead guilty today to perjury in the case.

The investigation employed an undercover informant posing as a lobbyist to offer cash and gifts to public officials for helping his clients.

Kane inherited the case from her predecessors and called it too flawed to prosecute. But Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams revived it.

A new grand jury report says a judge’s intervention was necessary to get information about the case from Kane’s office.

Williams says there’s no evidence to back up Kane’s assertion the investigation was racially biased.

Kane’s office had no immediate comment.