Gov. Wolf says ‘Porngate’ judge should resign

Gov. Tom Wolf said Sunday the Supreme Court justice involved in the Porngate scandal should resign.

Wolf issued the statement that Justice Michael Eakinshould resign from the state’s highest court, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, after it was revealed Eakin helped select a woman join the panel that is currently evaluatinghis emails and conduct with an eye toward disciplinary measures.

“He should resign,” Wolf, a Democrat, said of Eakin, a Republican,in a statement issued Sunday. “That Justice Eakin saw fit to participate in appointing someone he knew could soon be involved in reviewing his own behavior demonstrates a remarkable lack of judgment.”

Related link: See the porn emails behind the AG Kane scandal

That individual is Karen Snider, the Inquirer reported, a former secretary of the Department of Public Welfare.

Chief Justice Thomas Saylor canceled plans to appoint Snider to the Court of Judicial Discipline, given that Eakin had voted in support of her, and that the court will soon be evaluating Eakin’s actions, the Inquirer reported.

Related link: See the porn emails from Supreme Court justice Michael Eakin’s private account

Snider told the Inquirer that she did not know Eakin.

The Inquirer previously reported Saylor and Eakin were trying to get Snider onto the court so she could support Eakin.

“Justice Eakin is complicit in sharing emails that contain racist, sexist, and other derogatory materials, and his actions deserve the utmost scrutiny.Justice Eakin was also involved in attempting to appoint an individual to the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, the very court charged with providing that scrutiny,” Wolf said in his statement.

“Given the nature of Justice Eakin’s conduct, and the real concern that he could not be impartial in presiding over cases involving the groups of people disparaged in his emails, he should resign.”

Related link: Kane’s Porngate special prosecutor claims he’s never looked at porn​

Eakin previously released a statement apologizing for his private emailsafter more than 60 of his personal emails were released to the media by Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who claimed they were entered into the public domain after being cleared by the Judicial Conduct Board.

“The items chosen for release do not reflect my character or beliefs, nor have they ever been part of my consideration of any case or business of the court,” Eakin said in his statement. “I do not offer this as an excuse, and will continue to cooperate fully with the independent review by the court and by the conduct board.”