Lawmakers accepted trips bankrolled by campaign groups, organizations pushing alternatives to public education, and more. Public officials in Pennsylvania are allowed to accept essentially any gift.
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This loophole is apparently often used. In 2018, legislators and state employees reported accepting $39,200 in gifts and hospitality from lobbyists, the report noted. During the same period, lobbyists and principals reported spending $1.5 million on that purpose.In 2023, six lawmakers traveled to Arizona to attend a conference held by Kooth, which received a $3 million Four of those lawmakers — state Sens.
“I didn’t really know why they wanted me to go,” Gebhard said. “I think it’s a topic we have to talk about a lot more and deliver services to the people who need it.”from Luzerne County, also traveled to Arizona but did not report gifts related to the trip on their ethics filings.Kaufer said he paid Kooth back for his travel costs. He also attended the Super Bowl while in Arizona on his own dime.
Flynn said that he has known Volpe for 30 years and that Volpe is the uncle of “one of my best friends.” State law does not require officials to report gifts from family members or friends “when the circumstances make it clear that the motivation for the action was a personal or family relationship.” By that standard, Flynn said he didn’t need to report the tickets because of his “pre-existing relationship” with Volpe.
Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton reported $4,600 in travel from four groups. from unions, corporate trade associations, and other groups into state-level races — spent $2,300 to send McClinton to its “Speaker’s Conference.”, “a selective national network of pro-growth progressive state and local elected officials”; the Pennsylvania Medical Society; and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, a state interest group representing trial lawyers.
The meeting was held to “exchange school choice strategies and solutions that can benefit families,” Cutler said in his disclosure.
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