Democratic nominee for attorney general Eugene Depasquale was this month’s featured Pennsylvania Press Club speaker, where he recounted his experience as a public official and made the case for why Pennsylvania voters should elect him as AG over his general election opponent, Republican nominee and York County District Attorney Dave Sunday.
DePasquale, who formerly served as a state representative and state auditor general, touched on a variety of topics during his half-hour speech, ranging from personal perspectives on addiction and abortion to the top issues he thinks the next AG will need to address.
Among the highlights of DePasquale’s speech:
1. His experience with ‘complex investigations’
DePasquale was quick to highlight his background with “complex investigations” as auditor general, noting that he has “already led a complicated state agency.” He framed himself as someone who could resist political pressure from both major parties, referencing his efforts to investigate how Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration decided on waivers for businesses during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He pointed to two specific investigations during his time as auditor general: one that called attention to Pennsylvania’s 3,000 untested rape kits in 2016, and another that highlighted more than 42,000 unanswered calls to the state’s child abuse hotline in 2015 – as blueprints for how he would tackle difficult and sensitive problems facing the state. “When I find a problem, I really don't care … who is between me and finishing the job,” he said.
DePasquale hasn’t served in public office since leaving the role of auditor general in 2021, as he was term-limited and could not run for another term. However, DePasquale said he is seeking to return to public life, in part, because he believes his experience can benefit the state. “I came out of what you would call public life retirement – not actual retirement – to run for this office because I believe my skills uniquely could help serve the people of this state,” he said.
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