Times are tough for state Attorney General Kathleen Kane. Once seen as a rising Democratic star in Pennsylvania politics, Kane saw two major newspapers in the state call for her resignation last week.

In her campaign for the top law enforcement position in the state, Kane suggested former Gov. Tom Corbett, when serving as attorney general, let politics influence his handling of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Kane suggested Corbett dragged the case out to avoid controversy as he prepared to run for governor. Kane promised to investigate Corbett’s handling of the Sandusky case — and by implication suggested she would not let politics influence her as attorney general.

The irony in Kane’s current troubles is striking, given that implicit pledge — she’s being accused of playing politics in her handling of several high-profile cases.

One case that’s made news in recent months involves Kane’s decision to drop an investigation into four Philadelphia area lawmakers who were caught on video accepting money and gifts from an informant posing as a lobbyist. Given the recordings, it appeared to be a solid case, but Kane dropped it, saying it was weak and, additionally, was tainted by racism since the lawmakers were African Americans. They also were all Democrats, which many observers felt was the real driver behind Kane’s decision not to prosecute.

Investigators who had worked on the case under Corbett strongly disputed Kane’s claims. They noted several lawmakers approached by the same informant rejected his offers of cash. Contradicting Kane’s claim the case was weak, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Lewis, a black Democrat, picked up the case and proceeded to file charges.

Further doubts about Kane’s handling of her job came when the state Supreme Court rejected her claim that a special prosecutor did not have the legal right to look into whether she leaked information from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a political foe. The grand jury recommended that Kane be charged with perjury for lying under oath. After the Supreme Court ruling, the decision on whether charges will be filed against Kane rests with a district attorney in suburban Philadelphia.

Yet another scandal has surfaced that brought additional clouds over Kane. In this case, the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed that Kane withdrew subpoenas to a powerful casino owner and another wealthy and politically powerful businessman in her home area of Scranton. Legal staff in her office were already moving forward with plans to interview the two men about a scandal involving the state gaming board, but Kane stopped them from proceeding, claiming the prosecutor in the case was being “too aggressive.”

The Inquirer noted that five months after the subpoenas were quashed, her campaign received a $25,000 donation from an entity controlled by the casino owner who had been scheduled to be interviewed by the prosecutor’s staffers about corruption surrounding the state gaming board.

Without offering any explanation, Kane’s campaign later returned the $25,000 donation.

Citing these and other cases, the Philadelphia Inquirer and PennLive.com in Harrisburg both called for Kane to step down. The Inquirer suggested Kane could not be effective, given “her repeated unspooling of corruption investigations and the looming possibility that she will be prosecuted herself.”

Within her own office, the gathering storm is having an impact. Last week, Kane’s top aide, a man who had been on the job for only four months, announced he was quitting. That resignation came just days after the Supreme Court ruling allowed for a prosecutor to proceed with investigation of Kane regarding the grand jury leak and possible perjury charges.

The ascent of Kane’s political star was rapid — she was mentioned as a future candidate for governor. But the questionable calls and appearance of political considerations in these cases have led to an equally rapid fall for Kane’s star.

Gov. Tom Wolf has rejected calls for Kane to resign, saying the legal process should be allowed to play out. But Kane’s recent notoriety has to be a headache for Wolf as it taints his administration and embarrasses Democrats across the state.