PENNSYLVANIA, USA — York County District Attorney Dave Sunday earned the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania attorney general and is squaring off against Democrat Eugene DePasquale, the state’s former auditor general.
Sunday made a claim about DePasquale’s endorsements in a recent ad.
"Dave Sunday, endorsed by our law enforcement," a recent ad states. "Eugene DePasquale, endorsed by defund the police groups."
So, let’s Verify.
The two groups featured in the ad are the OnePA and Philly Neighborhood Networks.
Eugene DePasquale’s campaign website lists both of those organizations on the endorsements page and the respective organization’s websites list DePasquale among the candidates they endorse.
But do these organizations support defunding the police?
OnePA is a progressive policy advocacy and social justice group formed in Pittsburgh in 2011.
Philly Neighborhood Network calls itself a progressive activist group that backs progressive candidates.
Neither organization mentions support for defunding the police on its web pages, but Philly Neighborhood Network did support a 2021 statement from an organization called Reclaim Philadelphia after the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police received a new contract.
It states, “We remain hopeful since the renewed contract does lay the groundwork for shifting functions out of the police department. The contract paves the way for Defund work by making the process of removing duties and jobs from under the police department (crossing guards, traffic, EMS dispatches) easier. Reclaim and our partners will continue to pressure the City government to see that these changes are made.”
DePasquale is also endorsed by several law enforcement unions including the PA State Corrections Officers Association and Teamsters Law Enforcement League.
So this claim needs context.
Yes, Eugene DePasquale has received support from at least one organization that has supported changing departmental structure and removing some positions from police department control, but it did not propose removing police officers from the force and the groups do not solely exist to defund the police.