#Porngate fallout continues with judge charged, prosecutors transferred

The fallout over the release of damning emails swapped by state employees containing pornographic images continues in Philadelphia and across the state.

Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin, whose emails from a Yahoo account were released by Attorney General Kathleen Kane, was charged with violating judicial ethics by the Court of Judicial Discipline, and now may face sanction.

The complaint describes in detail the content of emails received by Eakin, and replies he sent, concluding, “Justice Eakin has acted in a manner that detracted from the dignity of his office.”

Meanwhile, D.A. Seth Williams, who employs three prosecutors that were revealed to have sent or received pornographic emails while they were previously employed at the attorney general’s office, announced that he is now calling on Kane to release all the offensive emails she has found.

“I’m asking the attorney general to release all the emails … so that all of us can understand the full extent of how this affects the criminal justice system, the legal system and the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Williams said Tuesday.

City Council passed a resolution calling on Williams to fire Frank Fina, Marc Costanzo and Patrick Blessington last week. Previously, female members of City Council and Dr. Nina Ahmad, head of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization of Women, also issued a call for the prosecutors’ termination.

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

In response, Williams transferred those prosecutors last week.

“I have transferred them to units where they’re not actively prosecuting new cases,” Williams said.

Fina went to the civil litigation unit, Costanzo went to the appeals unit, and Blessington went to the post conviction relief unit.

But Williams said Kane releasing all the emails would give the public “a full picture … not just a snapshot based upon who she was retaliating against.”

“I want a system that’s fair for everyone,” he said. “I don’t want there to be the perception that something is inappropriate. I want other law enforcement executives like myself or City Council members or state senators to be able to know when they’re hiring people to understand the full background.”

Meanwhile, while Williams ordered the three prosecutors to undergo sensitivity training, he repeated that they did not send any offensive emails or engage in inappropriate behavior while employed at the D.A.’s office, and that he had no idea when he hired them of their email history.

“I would not know to ask people if while they were at the Attorney General’s office years ago they were the recipient of inappropriate emails,” Williams said.