Probe: No Political Foot-Dragging By Then-AG Corbett in Sandusky Prosecution
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The long-awaited report on the length of the Jerry Sandusky investigation concludes that there is no evidence to support that the probe was deliberately slowed down for political reasons (see related story).
While the report shows no evidence that then-attorney-general Tom Corbett impeded the investigation, Kathleen Kane -- the current attorney general -- insists the Sandusky probe under Corbett was characterized by "crucial missteps" and a "lack of urgency" on the part of investigators.
"But there are questions of inexcusable delays. Why those delays took place, we don't know," Kane said this morning.
In particular, she says, one prosecutor was told it would be insufficient to file charges against Sandusky based on only one victim.
Today, Kane also dropped the bombshell that there are two more victims who say they were abused by Sandusky in the fall of 2009, raising the question of whether those two cases might have been prevented if Sandusky had been charged sooner.
But Frank Fina and other prosecutors involved in the case refuted Kane's assertion that these two new victims became known to them.
Fina called Kane's allegations "grotesque" and says she is pumping up allegations of missteps to cover for the fact that the report failed to substantiate speculation that the probe was slow-walked for electoral gain (another related story).
"We get a political document -- we get a face-saving statement," Fina said, adding that Kane owes prosecutors an apology.
Kane had campaigned for the attorney-general post on a pledge to find out whether Corbett, as attorney general, had intentionally put the brakes on the Sandusky investigation to enhance his own future run for governor.
To see the full report to the Attorney General on the Sandusky investigation, click here.
