Philly D.A. promotes detective who is suing AG Kane

The Philadelphia District Attorney's office has its first chief detective in more than three years after Seth Williams promoted a longtime city and state investigator Wednesday to fill the post.

Claude Thomas came to the D.A.'s office in 2013, after a long career with the state Attorney General's Office and the Pennsylvania State Police.

Now, he will oversee the D.A.'s 60 detectives.

Thomas is currently suing Attorney General Kathleen Kane for defamation in connection to his role as lead investigator in corruption cases against several Philadelphia elected officials.

He alleges Kane lied about his role and motives in the investigation that began under Attorney General Tom Corbett, before he became governor.

Kane shut down the probe when she took office in 2013 and later said the sting investigation was tainted by racism.

Williams took up the case and has since secured guilty pleas from six public officials and a city judge.

Thomas's lawsuit is pending in Commonwealth Court.

A spokesman for Williams, Cameron Kline, said the district attorney is not concerned that Thomas's promotion will jeopardize future joint investigations between the city and state law enforcement agencies.