Auditor General DePasquale Hails Senate Approval of Bill to Strip Public Pensions from Convicted Criminals, Urges Prompt House Action
Auditor General DePasquale Hails Senate Approval of Bill to Strip Public Pensions from Convicted Criminals, Urges Prompt House Action
HARRISBURG (Feb. 6, 2019) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today applauded the Pennsylvania Senate’s unanimous approval of legislation to require public officials and employees convicted of job-related crimes to forfeit their public pensions.
DePasquale called for such legislation in his 2017 audit of the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS). At the time, he applauded the system for enforcing existing law as best it could and suggested that the law be broadened.
“It’s just common sense that no public employee or official should be able to receive pension benefits after using his or her position to commit crimes,” DePasquale said. “I urge the House to promptly send this bill to the governor’s desk.”
The Senate-approved bill would expand the types of crimes that automatically trigger pension forfeiture and also require courts to report convictions to the state’s pension systems.
“It’s ridiculous that the pension systems must perform a web search to learn such important information,” DePasquale added. “Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve to know that no one who uses a position of public trust to commit a crime will be rewarded for it.”
DePasquale’s 2017 audit found that between Jan. 1, 2013 and Oct. 31, 2016, SERS identified and closed 109 pension forfeiture cases resulting in 40 pension forfeitures.
Learn more about the Department of the Auditor General at www.paauditor.gov.
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