on August 30, 2016 at 1:00 PM
By
John Rafferty
The act of casting a vote for someone to serve in an
elected office comes with an inherent agreement that the person elected to
serve will do so while upholding the highest ethical standards.
According to voters, trust in those elected to
represent us in office is at an all-time low. And with good
reason.
On the national level, we have a former Secretary of
State whose use of a private email server, along with recurring
questions about the relationship between the state department and the
Clinton Foundation, continue to fuel questions about
her ethics and her respect for the law. Voters can have no trust
in a candidate who conducts themselves in that manner.
Here in Pennsylvania, we have our own crisis of
confidence and trust with those we elected to serve us.
When two former state treasurers
are indicted or awaiting sentencing
and a former U.S. Congressman convicted of corruption is
also awaiting sentencing something is terribly wrong.
A jury convicted our most recent attorney general
of two felony perjury and abuse of power charges.
She resigned in disgrace. All of that is unacceptable.
At a time in our country and our commonwealth when we
face so many threats, both domestically and internationally, it is my
firm belief that we must hold our public officials to a
standard of conduct that is beyond reproach.
In Pennsylvania, we face a heroin and
opioid epidemic that is now the leading cause of accidental
death in Pennsylvania.
One priority for Pennsylvania Republicans this year is
taking back an office they have long seen as rightfully theirs: the Office of
Attorney General. The choice between candidates Joe Peters and John Rafferty
largely hinges on the kind of experience that GOP voters want.
Our state economy is struggling under the
weight of over regulation and the threat of higher taxes from both the
federal and the state governments. We see our police,
those who serve to protect us, attacked and killed.
We are under a constant threat from terrorists who
wish to do us harm simply for being American, to name only a few of the many
issues we will face on the national and state levels.
There can be no questions from our
constituents as to whether those in elected office are operating
in a "gray area," or are allowing conflicts of interest to become a
question mark in their decisions.
We know what happens when a politician,
responsible for keeping us safe and looking out for our interests,
chooses their own political ambitions over making the
best decisions for the citizens of Pennsylvania. Sadly,
this is an issue for my opponent.
Beemer
could have a lively, albeit short, tenure, but many think he's the right choice
to help the state's top law enforcement agency regain its footing.
Throughout his political career, and especially in this
race, prosecutors and members of his own party have accused Josh
Shapiro of questionable practices, including awarding government
contracts to top donors and taking contributions from individuals with a
checkered past.
Josh Shapiro accepted and then, under
force, returned donations from individuals with corruption
convictions. Some current Shapiro donors are even
paying lawsuit settlements to attorneys general in other states.
Add to that his refusal to step down from a role
where, as an agent of the state, he is in a position to give grants to
potential political backers, and it would appear that Shapiro has, at the very
least, the appearance of an ethics problem.
Would he earn your trust? I am convinced he would
not.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania deserves an attorney
general who is there to be exactly that, the top law enforcement
officer of the state. That is why I pledged from day one
of my campaign that if elected I will not seek
higher office and I will not use the Office of Attorney General to
run for governor.
I will guide all of my decisions
and policies by my desire to keep you and
your family safe and to uphold the law in
Pennsylvania.
I will make sure there will never be a need for anyone to
question my ethics. My opponent will not make this pledge
because his political aspirations go far beyond the
Office of Attorney General.
The
Montgomery County commissioner faces GOP Sen. John Rafferty in the November
election.
All of us in Pennsylvania paid a high price the past four
years as we went down a path of distrust and lies.
Ask yourself, don't we deserve better? I know we
do. Your trust in me is a promise I will gladly and wholeheartedly
fulfill.
The
author, a state senator from Montgomery County, is the Republican nominee for
Pennsylvania Attorney General.
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By the candidate. Published at:
John Rafferty Penn Live file photo
