Auditor General DePasquale Calls for Fixing Pension Forfeiture Rules to Bar Convicted Public Employees from Retiring on Taxpayer Funds
Audits of SERS, PSERS called for forfeiture reform
Auditor General DePasquale Calls for Fixing Pension Forfeiture Rules to Bar Convicted Public Employees from Retiring on Taxpayer Funds
Audits of SERS, PSERS called for forfeiture reform
HARRISBURG (Dec. 11, 2017) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today issued the following statement calling on the General Assembly to tighten public pension rules to prevent convicted public employees from collecting on taxpayer-funded pensions:
“As I highlighted in my audits this year of the two state employee retirement systems, it is clear there are problems with the language of the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act that need to be fixed immediately.
“It boggles the mind that taxpayers are on the hook to pay pension benefits to any public employee who pleads guilty to or is convicted of a crime committed in the course of their public service.
“The General Assembly has multiple legislative proposals that would strengthen the pension forfeiture rules. I commend Gov. Wolf for his leadership on this issue by speaking out publically about his support for immediate reform.
“There is no excuse for not acting now to protect taxpayers from paying retirement benefits for public servants who abuse their trust by committing crimes in office.”
The state retirement board recently reinstated the $245,000-a-year pension for a former state senator who pleaded guilty in 2012 to a federal conspiracy charge. Meanwhile, convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky continues to collect his public pension.
Earlier this year, DePasquale released audits of the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) and the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) in which he called for reform of the forfeiture rules. Both audit reports are available online at: www.PaAuditor.gov.
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