Eugene DePasquale: A Profile in Pennsylvania Politics and Education

Eugene A. DePasquale, born on August 3, 1971, is an American lawyer and Democratic politician with a notable career in Pennsylvania public service. His journey, marked by a commitment to transparency, accountability, and public service, has seen him serve in various key roles, including as the Pennsylvania Auditor General from 2013 to 2021 and as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013, representing the 95th district based in York County. DePasquale's career reflects a deep engagement with the issues facing Pennsylvania, from environmental protection to government transparency and public health.

Early Life and Education

DePasquale's roots are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he grew up with a love for sports, "Star Wars," and his younger brothers, Vincent and Anthony. A graduate of Central Catholic High School, he went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster. His commitment to education continued as he attended Widener University Commonwealth Law School, laying the foundation for his future career in law and public service.

A defining aspect of DePasquale's early life was his family's experience with his younger brother Anthony's struggle with muscular dystrophy. This personal experience deeply influenced DePasquale’s views on healthcare. When Anthony was diagnosed, health insurance companies declared it a pre-existing condition and denied coverage, leading to mounting medical bills that nearly bankrupted his family. This experience instilled in him a firm belief that access to good quality health care is a fundamental human right.

Early Career

DePasquale's professional career began in 2002 when he became the director for the City of York Department of Economic Development. This role provided him with valuable experience in urban development and economic planning. From 2003 to 2006, he served as the deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, where he contributed to environmental policy and regulation. During this time, he was part of the team that helped secure the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, demonstrating his early commitment to environmental issues.

Service in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2007-2013)

In 2007, DePasquale was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 95th district. During his tenure, he distinguished himself by his commitment to transparency and accountability. He famously committed to putting his expenses online, a move that garnered significant attention and praise. As a state legislator, he was the first-ever to publicly post all of his expenses online for citizens to see. DePasquale sponsored laws to invest in renewable energy projects and tackle climate change, further solidifying his reputation as an advocate for environmental protection.

Read also: Affording Eugene Lang

Auditor General of Pennsylvania (2013-2021)

DePasquale's career reached a new height when he was elected as the Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2012 and assumed office in 2013. As the chief fiscal watchdog of the state, he transformed the office into a proactive and influential force. On his first day in Harrisburg, he issued an audit into safe drinking water. Under his leadership, publicly announced audits from Harrisburg became commonplace. He took aim at the shale gas industry and the state Department of Environmental Protection’s inability to oversee it. He led a query looking into a reduced backlog in rape kits and his office discovered that the state’s fuel tax was used to fund state police.

Key Audits and Investigations

Safe Drinking Water: DePasquale initiated an audit into safe drinking water on his first day in office, underscoring his commitment to protecting public health.
Shale Gas Industry Oversight: He took aim at the shale gas industry and the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) inability to oversee it, highlighting the need for stronger environmental protections.
Child Abuse Hotline: In 2016, DePasquale uncovered the state child abuse hotline’s failure to answer calls, revealing a critical failure in the state's child protection system.
Voting Machine Vendors: In 2019, DePasquale found county officials accepted gifts and trips from voting machine vendors, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of the electoral process.
Rape Kit Backlog: From an investigation looking into a reduced backlog in rape kits to the discovery of the state’s fuel tax being used to fund state police, DePasquale also critiqued former Gov. Tom Wolf's administration.
Fiscal Impact of Climate Change: In November 2019, Eugene released a special report on the fiscal impact of climate change on the state of Pennsylvania, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change for the state's economic future.

DePasquale's tenure as Auditor General was marked by his commitment to holding government accountable and advocating for policies that protect the environment, public health, and the integrity of government operations.

2020 Congressional Run

In 2020, DePasquale sought to take his commitment to public service to the national level, running for Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district. He won the Democratic primary but faced a tough challenge in the general election against incumbent Republican Scott Perry. Despite a hard-fought campaign, DePasquale was ultimately unsuccessful, losing to Perry in a hotly contested race.

2024 Attorney General Candidacy

Undeterred by his previous electoral defeat, DePasquale announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania Attorney General in the 2024 election. On June 1, 2023, DePasquale announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania Attorney General in the 2024 election. He emphasized his experience as Auditor General and his commitment to fighting corruption and protecting the rights of Pennsylvanians. He emerged victorious from a crowded field of primary candidates that included Keir Bradford-Grey, Joe Khan, Jared Solomon and Jack Stollsteimer.

DePasquale's Vision for Attorney General

Fighting Corruption: "As attorney general, I will take on corrupt behavior by elected and appointed officials, government employees, and those doing business with city, state and federal government,” DePasquale said. “In my previous role as auditor general I uncovered corruption in multiple government agencies, stopping it at the source."
Environmental Protection: DePasquale said he would continue Shapiro's efforts in areas such as assuring safe practices by the natural gas industry.
Consumer Protection: He also touted Shapiro’s part in ensuring that western Pennsylvania’s two health care giants, Highmark and UPMC, didn’t force each other’s customers out of network.

Political Views and Policy Positions

Throughout his career, DePasquale has been a vocal advocate for a range of progressive policies.

Healthcare: Eugene believes that access to good quality health care is a fundamental human right, and he will work to lower out-of-pocket costs, increase access to care, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and lower the cost of prescription drugs. Specifically, Eugene supports a public option that builds on and expands the Affordable Care Act. It would allow those with private insurance to keep it, and provides the option to buy into Medicare at an affordable rate. Eugene knows that too many families are not able to afford the prescription drugs that their families need. Specifically, Eugene supports the “Lower Drug Costs Now Act” which is commonsense, bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs for all families and seniors.
Economy and Jobs: Eugene has a proven record of working to build and create better-paying jobs for all Pennsylvanians. Eugene will take that same type of leadership to Washington. Eugene is advocating for a $15 minimum wage because no one who works full-time should live in poverty because their wages are too low.
Climate Change and Environment: Eugene believes that we must take aggressive action to truly tackle the climate change crisis, while creating good clean energy jobs. He knows we must protect our environment and prioritize clean air and water for our children. As Auditor General, Eugene’s first audit was to assess the impact of fracking on the environment and drinking water quality. His audit found that the Department was not prepared to protect drinking water and enforce environmental protections, which led to the Department hiring more inspectors. In Congress, Eugene will focus on investment in alternative energy, including research on smarter energy storage for solar and wind, and a more durable grid. He also supports tax credits to incentivize the use of solar. Eugene is also laser-focused on improving the air and water quality for families in South Central Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River is suffering from over-pollution. Eugene supports improving our stormwater infrastructure and increasing stream buffers to protect our waterways from agricultural runoff to clean it up. Air quality in South Central Pennsylvania is some of the worst in the country and Pennsylvania has the highest premature death rate per capita due to air pollution.
Infrastructure: Eugene knows that Pennsylvania’s existing infrastructure is crumbling due to a lack of federal investment, and that we must modernize for the future. Pennsylvania has extremely high rates of truck traffic as well as extreme weather, which means roads and bridges deteriorate faster than other states. In Congress, Eugene will fight for a robust, bipartisan infrastructure investment, in order to improve safety and security of our infrastructure and grow our economy. Eugene will only support an infrastructure plan that is bought in America and built in America. A strong buy America plan would ensure that steel, concrete and other key components and technology are produced here - ideally in Pennsylvania.
Good Governance and Transparency: Eugene will reach across the aisle to create a bipartisan solution that prevents future government shutdowns. As state Auditor General, he was the first statewide public official to do the same. Eugene has a proven record of taking on entrenched bureaucrats and the status quo to fight for more government transparency and accountability. Throughout his time in public service, Eugene has been guided by the core principle that accountability makes people and institutions better.
Criminal Justice Reform: As Auditor General, Eugene released a slate of suggested reforms that would decrease rates of incarceration in the commonwealth, such as keeping nonviolent drug offenders out of prison, avoiding returning nonviolent parole violators to jail, and reforming the cash bail system that disproportionately keeps low income defendants behind bars.
Racial Justice: Eugene has voiced his support for the passage in Congress of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020.
Trade: Eugene believes for far too long, everyday Americans have been screwed by unfair trade deals, where Washington has negotiated out of positions of weakness instead of strength. Eugene will also advocate for trade deals that give Americans a fair shake.
COVID-19 Response: Addressing the public health and economic effects of COVID-19 is the single most pressing issue before our country today. In Congress, Eugene will fight every day to ensure that America is utilizing all its immunology research and development resources to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.