HARRISBURG - Gov. Tom Corbett suggested incoming state Attorney General Kathleen Kane can turn to outside attorneys for help in investigating how the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case was handled because of the extent of work possibly involved.
"She has to talk to all the people who prosecuted the case," said Mr. Corbett Thursday during a meeting with the Times-Tribune editorial board at the Governor's Residence. He used private attorneys for matters on occasion during his tenure as attorney general.
Mr. Corbett answered questions about the prosecution started by him as attorney general of Mr. Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach, and his recent filing of a federal antitrust lawsuit to block the NCAA from imposing sanctions and a $60 million fine against the university for its role in the Sandusky case.
Mrs. Kane of Waverly Twp., who takes office Tuesday, plans an in-house investigation to determine why it took state prosecutors nearly three years to charge Mr. Sandusky. She made the pace of the Sandusky probe handled through a state grand jury a major issue in her successful campaign in the fall.
Ms. Kane will assign a deputy attorney general to do the investigation, said Kane spokesman Josh Morrow on Thursday.
"It (the investigation) will be from within," added Mr. Morrow. "It wouldn't be outside counsel."
Mr. Corbett emphatically defended his use of the grand jury in the Sandusky probe, saying its promise of secrecy was essential to getting victims to overcome their initial reluctance and testify about the details of their abuse by Mr. Sandusky. Having more than one witness testify in court was key to obtaining a conviction of Mr. Sandusky on numerous sex abuse counts, he added.
Winning the NCAA lawsuit will be an uphill climb in the courts, but it's an important endeavor because of the economic losses to state businesses and citizens stemming from the sanctions, Mr. Corbett said.
As he prepares to give a third budget address Feb. 5, Mr. Corbett said he wants to curb escalating public pension costs in order to free up more state aid for programs that have been cut in recent years.
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