Philadelphia DA Seth Williams target of federal probe over campaign spending

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Action News has confirmed that Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams is under federal investigation over campaign spending.

The investigation is trying to determine whether he misspent campaign money on personal expenses.

Subpoenas were served to his political action committee.

Williams has turned over financial records.

Friends of Seth Williams, the political action committee being looked into, sent a statement to Action News, saying Williams denies the allegations.

The committee's spokesman, Mike Barley, also implies the investigation can be traced to embattled Attorney General Kathleen Kane.

The statement noted: "Attorney General Kathleen Kane vowed to go after District Attorney Seth Williams, explicitly 'to make Seth pay.' Attorney General Kane ordered political operatives to gather negative information regarding District Attorney Williams, and said 'this is war.'"

You can read the full statement from Friends of Seth Williams below:

"Two weeks ago, the affidavit of probable cause issued by the Montgomery County District Attorney's office revealed that Attorney General Kathleen Kane vowed to go after District Attorney Seth Williams, explicitly 'to make Seth pay.' Attorney General Kane ordered political operatives to gather negative information regarding District Attorney Williams, and said 'this is war.'

"Today, on the eve of the preliminary hearing on the charges against her, an article was published by the same reporter to whom Kane provided secret grand jury information in an apparent effort to smear other prosecutors. The article relies on anonymous 'sources' to raise allegations against District Attorney Williams related to his campaign finances.

"District Attorney Williams denies these allegations. His campaign finance records are a matter of public record, and he will cooperate with any authorities who may wish to review them.

"According to recently released court documents, Attorney General Kane threatened to go after District Attorney Seth Williams: 'I will not allow them to discredit me or my office,' Kane wrote in the email. 'This is war.'

"She wrote in an email that she would 'make Seth pay.'"