Oct. 7--Amid growing public pressure, Attorney General and senate hopeful Martha Coakley has leaped into the probe into a widening e-mail scandal tied to Mayor Thomas M. Menino's top lieutenant.

Coakley had been balking at getting involved in the investigation into Michael Kineavy's missing e-mails, saying she would wait until a probe by Secretary of State William Galvin was complete. But public pressure has mounted for the AG to intervene, fueled by calls from Boston city councilors, including Menino's mayoral opponent Michael Flaherty.

A day after Kineavy took an abrupt unpaid "leave of absence," Coakley has formally gotten involved in the e-mail flap.

"Secretary Galvin's office has been working on this matter to ensure, first and foremost, that all public records are preserved, and also to determine whether there have been any violations of the public records law by City officials. We are now involved in that review," Coakley said in a statement issued today. "We believe that Secretary Galvin has been successful in achieving preservation of the electronic files. My office will continue to work with Secretary Galvin going forward, and we remain prepared to conduct a full investigation and take all necessary steps to guarantee the preservation of evidence and full compliance with the law."

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