News & Brews August 2, 2023
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Philly labor leader and Dem state rep. back school choice
Last week I shared the op-ed by Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council head Ryan Boyer, in which he outlines his support for school choice. Earlier this week, Boyer appeared on WPHT 1210 with host Dom Giordano to dive into his support for school choice. You can listen to that interview here. Then, yesterday, Democrat state Rep. Amen Brown of Philadelphia joined Dom to express his support for Lifeline Scholarships (PASS) in the proposed state budget. Listen to his interview here. Democrat House Leader Matt Bradford is blocking these scholarships, but members of his own party are now publicly calling for school choice.
PSERS sues consulting firm over error
The Pa. Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) filed a complaint against Aon Investments USA over the much-publicized calculation error that overstated profits. In the complaint, PSERS says Aon, “repeatedly admitted and acknowledged that it had made certain mistakes, to date — almost two and one-half years since Aon’s admissions — Aon has not come clean as to what actually occurred, and what it did and/or did not do.” You can see the complaint and PSERS’ statement here.
How Pa. ‘shows up’ in latest Trump indictment
PennLive reports that while “no current Pennsylvania officeholders … are among the unnamed co-conspirators” in the latest Trump indictment, Pa. still “figure[s] in several ways.” The story outlines the commonwealth’s main appearances, which include a 2020 hearing and Trump’s “harsh critique” of the Legislature for not appointing an alternate slate of electors.
Judge says FBI informant did not violate Johnny Doc’s rights
In the trial of former Philadelphia labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, a federal judge gutted “one of the primary arguments Dougherty has advanced in his efforts to overturn his verdict in the bribery case that ended his nearly three-decade career as head of the politically powerful” IBEW 98, the Inquirer reports. The judge said the FBI’s use of an informant did not violate Dougherty’s rights and does not suggest his conviction should be overturned.