Benninghoff: Business Not Treated Fairly by Wolf Administration

HARRISBURG – Today, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale provided a status update on his ongoing audit of the Wolf administration’s business waiver process that was implemented following the governor’s March 19 economic shutdown of what he deemed to be “non-life-sustaining businesses.”

According to the auditor general, the waiver program “was not a level playing field for businesses across Pennsylvania” and was operated on “shifting sands of changing guidance” that required businesses “to hit a moving target.”

As a result of this mishandled program, DePasquale said today he finds it “almost impossible” some businesses did not permanently close their doors.

 In response, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) made the following statement:

“Not only did the Wolf administration devastate small businesses across Pennsylvania with his over-broad shutdown, but his administration added insult to injury by sowing confusion and angst among those seeking waivers by changing guidance and stacking the deck against mom-and-pop businesses simply looking to continue operating safely.

 “The toll on lives and livelihoods from this administration’s handling of COVID-19 continues to mount. Sadly, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Wolf administration’s non-transparent, go-it-alone approach to managing this virus has done severe harm to Pennsylvania.”