A vote for transparency: Gov. Wolf should explain the election chief’s exit
the Editorial Board, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Oct 14, 2017
Gov. Tom Wolf has declined to comment on the abrupt resignation of Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, calling it a “personnel matter.” Mr. Wolf’s reticence is disappointing. Because Mr. Cortes was responsible for overseeing the integrity of the state’s electoral process, recently called into question because of revelations that hundreds of immigrants were improperly registered to vote, his departure is a matter of public concern.
It’s important to ask whether Mr. Cortes’ resignation and the registration gaffe are related. If Mr. Wolf’s administration won’t provide the answer, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, should press for one during a House State Government Committee hearing he already had been planning to hold on the registration flap.
The hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25. To get to the bottom of things, he should invite Mr. Cortes, who took office when Mr. Wolf did in January 2015 and also held the position from 2003 to 2010 under former Gov. Ed Rendell. Continue reading →
