Eugene DePasquale explained

Eugene DePasquale
Office:51st Auditor General of Pennsylvania
Governor:Tom Corbett
Tom Wolf
Term Start:January 15, 2013
Term End:January 19, 2021
Predecessor:Jack Wagner
Successor:Timothy DeFoor
State House1:Pennsylvania
District1:95th
Term Start1:January 2, 2007
Term End1:January 15, 2013
Predecessor1:Stephen Stetler
Successor1:Kevin Schreiber
Birth Date:3 August 1971
Birth Place:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Children:2
Education:College of Wooster (BA)
University of Pittsburgh (MPP)
Widener University (JD)

Eugene A. DePasquale (born August 3, 1971) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served as the Pennsylvania Auditor General from 2013 to 2021. From 2007 to 2013, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the York County-based 95th district. He was the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district in the 2020 election. Since leaving office, DePasquale served as an adjunct professor at Widener University School of Law,[1] and is currently an adjunct law professor at the University of Pittsburgh.[2] In 2023, he announced his candidacy in the 2024 Pennsylvania Attorney General election.[3]

Early life and education

DePasquale was born on August 3, 1971, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[4] He graduated from Central Catholic High School and received a bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster. He later earned an MPP from the University of Pittsburgh and a JD from Widener University Commonwealth Law School.[5]

DePasquale was the eldest of three brothers. His youngest brother died while DePasquale was in law school after suffering from muscular dystrophy. At that time, their father, a Vietnam War veteran, was serving ten and a half years in prison on narcotics charges.

DePasquale is the grandson of Eugene "Jeep" DePasquale, who served in the Pittsburgh City Council between 1971 and 1989.[6]

Early career

DePasquale moved to York in 1997. He served as director of economic development for the City of York in the early 2000s.[7]

From 2003 to 2006, DePasquale served as deputy secretary for community revitalization and local government support of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.[8]

Political career

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

When incumbent state representative Steve Stetler resigned from his seat and withdrew from the ballot during the 2006 elections, DePasquale announced his intent to replace him. The York County Democratic Party selected him as their replacement nominee in August, and he defeated Republican nominee Karen Emenheiser 58.3% to 41.7%.[9] His legislative district included all of the city of York, Spring Garden Township, part of West Manchester Township, and the boroughs of North York and West York.

DePasquale was re-elected in 2008, defeating Republican candidate Lon Emenheiser 75.1% to 24.9%.[10] In 2010, DePasquale was unopposed both in his primary and general re-election bids.[11]

Pennsylvania Auditor General

Elections

2012

See main article: 2012 Pennsylvania Auditor General election.

In April 2011, DePasquale announced that he would be running for State Auditor General in 2012 to succeed incumbent Jack Wagner, who was term-limited.[12] DePasquale made Marcellus shale drilling a central issue of his campaign, and promised to order an immediate performance audit of the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure the state's water supply had not been compromised by drilling.[13] He defeated Republican state representative John Maher in the fall general election.[14] Both Maher and DePasquale were concurrently re-elected without opposition to their seats in the state house.[15]

DePasquale resigned his seat in the state house on January 15, 2013, and was sworn-in as auditor general later that day. He became the first person from York County to assume statewide elected office since George Leader was elected governor in 1954.[16]

2016

See main article: 2016 Pennsylvania Auditor General election.

In the 2016 election, DePasquale was reelected auditor general with 50% of the vote, defeating Republican John Brown.[17]

Tenure

In July 2014, DePasquale announced results of an audit of the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) water programs related to the development of the state's shale gas reserves.[18] Results of that audit showed the DEP had been unprepared to effectively administer laws and regulations to protect drinking water and unable to efficiently respond to citizen complaints in the period 2009-2012.[19] [20] The report cited sloppy record-keeping, lax oversight, and poor communication with citizens.[21]

A September 2016 report from the Auditor General's office revealed that over 3,000 rape kits were backlogged by local law enforcement agencies, awaiting testing, with 60% of them waiting untested for over a year.[22] A followup in May 2020 announced that the untested backlog had been reduced by 97%, due to increased financial support from the state budget, outside groups and federal programs.[23] [24]

In the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, the Auditor General's office released a report in November 2018 on the subject of gun safety in Pennsylvania and access to guns by those requiring mental health care, calling for greater monitoring by gun sellers of buyers in emotional distress.[25] DePasquale's office likewise audited the Pennsylvania background-check system for possible gaps and errors in its screenings for ineligible purchasers.[26]

Along with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, DePasquale co-chaired a School Safety Task Force that gathered feedback about safety concerns, drills and security measures to prevent or mitigate school shootings.[27]

In February 2019, DePasquale announced that officials in 18 Pennsylvania counties had disclosed that they had accepted improper (but not illegal) gifts from voting-machine vendors, and that several additional officials had failed to disclose such gifts.[28] This followed an investigation about the security of voter registration data, prompted by election-security concerns originating in the 2016 election.[29]

2020 congressional campaign

Term-limited from running again as Auditor General, DePasquale announced in June 2019 his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives to represent Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district.[30] He won the Democratic nomination on June 3, 2020.[31] DePasquale was defeated in the general election, with incumbent Scott Perry being declared the victor on November 5.[32] DePasquale subsequently conceded the race.[33]

2024 Attorney General campaign

On June 1, 2023, DePasquale announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania Attorney General in the 2024 election. He cited his tenure as Auditor General as a reason to support him, and pledged to be a "pro-choice attorney general."[34] At the Democratic State Committee meeting in December 2023, DePasquale received 52% of the endorsement vote in a five-candidate field, but failed to meet the two-thirds requirement for an official party endorsement.[35] He won the Democratic primary election with 39% of the vote and will face Republican candidate Dave Sunday in the general election.[36]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Adjunct Faculty Directory. 29 June 2022.
  2. Web site: Eugene DePasquale plans to be a 'fighter' as he gets closer to launching his campaign for Pennsylvania attorney general. April 13, 2023 . 28 November 2023.
  3. Web site: DePasquale to run for Pennsylvania attorney general in 2024. . June 2023 . 28 November 2023.
  4. Web site: Eugene A. DePasquale . Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives . 10 June 2023.
  5. Web site: Meet Auditor General Eugene DePasquale . Pennsylvania Dept of the Auditor General . 22 August 2020.
  6. News: Former Pittsburgh councilman Eugene "Jeep" DePasquale dies at 85 . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . January 2, 2008 . Schmitz . Jon . January 19, 2013 .
  7. News: Hullinger . Logan . DePasquale who? Dem candidate for Pa.'s 10th District hits road as name recognition lags . 16 February 2023 . York Dispatch . 22 August 2020.
  8. Web site: Rep. Eugene A. DePasquale Biography. Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus . 2008 . dead. 22 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20121028150702/http://www.pahouse.com/depasquale/bio.asp. 28 October 2012.
  9. Web site: Commonwealth of PA - Elections Information . January 9, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081127151803/http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?FunctionID=13&ElectionID=24&OfficeID=13 . November 27, 2008 .
  10. Web site: Commonwealth of PA - Elections Information. https://web.archive.org/web/20090221182246/http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?FunctionID=12&ElectionID=28. dead. February 21, 2009. February 21, 2009. October 18, 2017.
  11. Web site: York_Co_General_Nov_2010 UnOfficial Results . November 8, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110228231029/http://www.york-county.org/Election/County.htm . February 28, 2011 . dead .
  12. Web site: DePasquale Exploring 2012 Bid for Auditor General | Eugene DePasquale . April 13, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110815211334/http://eugene4pa.com/depasquale-exploring-2012-bid-for-auditor-general/ . August 15, 2011 . dead .
  13. Web site: DePasquale. Eugene. DePasquale Will Order Review of Water Protection Programs As First Action If Elected Auditor General. Eugene4pa.com. October 13, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305003000/http://www.eugene4pa.com/issues/drilling.html. March 5, 2016. dead.
  14. News: Stonesifer. Tim. November 7, 2012. Eugene DePasquale wins state auditor general seat. York (PA) Daily Record. dead. November 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121110194620/http://www.ydr.com/old-politics/ci_21943780/eugene-depasquale-wins-state-auditor-general-seat?source=most_viewed. November 10, 2012.
  15. Web site: Clonan. Elyse. Auditor General Race Raises Questions About Running For Two Offices Simultaneously. Politicspa.com. April 18, 2012 . February 9, 2013.
  16. Web site: Murphy. Jen. Eugene DePasquale makes midstate history as Pennsylvania's new auditor general. PennLive.com. January 16, 2013 . February 9, 2013.
  17. Web site: Pedro A.. Coates. Pennsylvania Department of State Elections. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161113185634/http://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/ENR_NEW. November 13, 2016.
  18. Web site: Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General -Auditor General DePasquale Initiates Audit to Ensure Safe Drinking Water. www.paauditor.gov. en-US. October 19, 2017.
  19. Web site: Auditor general criticizes DEP . Washington County Observer-Reporter . 22 August 2020.
  20. Web site: Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General -Auditor General DePasquale Says Rapid Shale Gas Development Outpaced DEP's Ability to Oversee Industry, Protect Water Quality. www.paauditor.gov. en-US. October 19, 2017.
  21. Web site: Phillips . Susan . Pa. Auditor General: Don't rely on DEP for good information . NPR StateImpact . September 26, 2014 . 22 August 2020.
  22. Web site: Langley . Karen . Pa. auditor general blames state for backlog on rape kits . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 22 August 2020.
  23. Web site: Guza . Megan . Pennsylvania's backlog of 3,000 untested rape kits now under 100, auditor general says . Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . May 5, 2020 . 22 August 2020.
  24. Web site: Meyer . Katie . Auditor general praises dwindling rape kit backlog . PA Post . April 11, 2019 . 22 August 2020.
  25. Web site: Finnerty . John . Pa. auditor general calls for comprehensive action on gun safety . November 28, 2018 . Johnstown Tribune-Democrat . 22 August 2020.
  26. Web site: Tawa . Steve . Auditor general to evaluate Pennsylvania's gun background check system . KYW Newsradio . June 23, 2019 . 22 August 2020.
  27. Web site: Wolf sets up task force in effort to improve school safety . March 15, 2018 . Associated Press . 22 August 2020.
  28. Web site: Auditor says officials took voting machine vendors' freebies . Associated Press . February 22, 2019 . 22 August 2020.
  29. Web site: Scolforo . Mark . State auditor to study security of Pennsylvania voter rolls . Associated Press . June 11, 2018 . 22 August 2020.
  30. News: Thompson. Charles. June 30, 2019. Pa. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is running for Congress, and here's why. June 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190630152944/https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/06/pas-auditor-general-eugene-depasquale-has-decided-on-his-next-race-its-congress-and-heres-why.html. June 30, 2019.
  31. News: Pennsylvania Primary Election Results: 10th Congressional District. The New York Times . June 2, 2020 . 3 March 2023.
  32. Web site: Freedom Caucus member Scott Perry wins fifth term in Pennsylvania. Jagoda. Naomi. The Hill. November 5, 2020. November 7, 2020.
  33. DePasqualePA. Eugene DePasquale. 1324509825888378880. November 5, 2020. Just now I called @RepScottPerry to congratulate him on a hard-earned victory. Below is my statement as I end my campaign for Congress. It was an honor to meet you and hear your stories. And I promise you, our work is far from finished.. November 7, 2020.
  34. News: Prose . J.D. . Eugene DePasquale says background is 'perfect fit' for attorney general as he announces bid . 11 June 2023 . . Advance Local Media LLC . June 1, 2023.
  35. Web site: McGoldrick . Gillian . 2023-12-16 . Pa. Democrats give history-making nod to Kenyatta for auditor general, but won't endorse in the attorney general race . 2024-01-22 . Philadelphia Inquirer . en.
  36. News: Meyer . Katie . Democrat Eugene DePasquale, Republican Dave Sunday win primary elections for Pa. attorney general . 17 June 2024 . Spotlight PA . April 23, 2024.