Joe Scarnati was a Republican state senator in Pennsylvania. He served as President pro tempore for thirteen years until his 2020 retirement. During that time, he was on the side of the victimizers and not the victims of sexual abuse. After the 2020 election, as one of his last actions as a retiring Senator, he forced through a vote to not confirm a second term for the state victim’s advocate, a woman who allegedly advocated too hard for the victims of the Catholic church abuse scandal.
She criticized Senate Republicans and Scarnati in particular for refusing to allow a two-year window for victims to sue the church. It seems likely that the church’s law firm employing so many former Scarnati staffers may have played a role. She also criticized Scarnati for authorizing the state to pay attorney fees for an employee accused of sexual harassment.
He won and gratuitously noted she was being investigated for ethics violations, the substance of which were determined to be unfounded. It was one of this last actions as a Senator.
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The Morning Call
Allentown, Pennsylvania · Tuesday, October 06, 2020