Kane

The Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed Bruce Beemer to serve as attorney general (AG). Gov. Tom Wolf had nominated Beemer, who previously served as inspector general, to fill the vacancy left by Kathleen Kane (see Shale Daily,Aug. 19). Kane resigned earlier this month after being convicted of felony perjury charges for leaking grand jury testimony to a Philadelphia newspaper. Kane had sparred at times with the oil and gas industry, filing criminal charges againstXTO Energy Inc. for a spill at a drilling site and a wide-ranging lawsuit against Chesapeake Energy Corp. for allegedly deducting post-production costs from royalty checks (see Shale Daily,Aug. 5;Dec. 9, 2015). Beemer would serve as AG until January. Democrat Josh Shapiro and Republican state Sen. John Rafferty are facing off for the seat in the November election. The Senate confirmed Beemer during a special one day session before the chamber’s return from summer recess on Sept. 26.

A criminal case brought by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane in 2013 against ExxonMobil Corp. subsidiary XTO Energy Inc. continues to languish in a state court, where no action is expected on it until next year. Kane, facing felony charges in another case, has had her law license suspended.

ExxonMobil Corp. subsidiary XTO Energy Inc. has filed a motion with a Pennsylvania court to dismiss multiple criminal charges against it, saying that it has been unfairly targeted by state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who filed the charges last year (seeShale Daily, Sept. 12, 2013).