Ryncavage: President Biden’s Clemency Order Abandons All Pennsylvania Values
HARRISBURG –Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-Luzerne) today echoed the recent calls of his House Republican colleagues regarding President Joe Biden’s recent decision to commute the prison sentence of former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan.
“The recent action of the president is utter nonsense and yet another disservice to the children and families that have already suffered,” Ryncavage said. “Granting clemency is another way of condoning this terrible, unforgivable behavior, and I for one will not be silent and support anything that pays homage to a man who all but turned a blind eye to these heinous actions.”
Conahan and Ciavarella were indicted in 2009 for conspiring to funnel juveniles to for-profit detention facilities in exchange for $2.8 million in kickbacks. The scheme affected thousands of young people, many of whom were first-time offenders convicted of minor infractions like truancy or jaywalking. Conahan had 20 months remaining in his sentence.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak wrote a recent letter to Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti formally requesting that ‘President Biden Expressway’ revert back to Spruce Street.
“Mayor Cognetti, members of the Scranton City Council, and PennDOT need to stand with our community and oppose anyone condoning such sickening behaviors that changed the lives of families for good, even if that order came from the president.
“I applaud Reps. Brenda Pugh and Jamie Walsh for their leadership on this topic, and I am happy to join all colleagues in sharing their concerns about this issue. I also call on my fellow legislators across the aisle to join our voices and condemn the actions of President Biden. This should not be a partisan issue.”