Pileggi statement on Commonwealth Court decision in Arneson v. Wolf

Posted by Press Release on June 10, 2015

State Sen. Dominic Pileggi issued the following statement after the June 10 Commonwealth Court ruling that Gov. Tom Wolf exceeded his constitutional authority by removing Erik Arneson as the executive director of the Office of Open Records:

“The Commonwealth Court has confirmed what the legislature intended when the Right to Know Law was passed in 2009—in order for the Office of Open Records to function effectively, it must be free from meddling by the Governor and other political forces. The Court has recognized this intent by ruling that the Governor had no authority to remove Mr. Arneson as Executive Director and ordering him reinstated.

“I know that Erik Arneson will faithfully serve the cause of government transparency in Pennsylvania. I call on Governor Wolf to conserve scarce taxpayer resources by abandoning any further appeals or delays so the Office of Open Records may continue its important work.”