John, close your eyes and imagine this for a moment:

A community decades ago elected a District Attorney that they hoped would bring systematic change.

But instead, while in office, they gave a white motorist such a light sentence for fighting with police that the judge objected and said it was “a ridiculous plea that only goes to white boys.”

They also jailed a woman for having a miscarriage and her lawyer said that it was “the most abusive prosecution I’ve ever witnessed.”

There were calls to investigate them for not hiring Black prosecutors, and a “systematically racist” approach to plea deals.

This isn’t hypothetical — this is the disastrous track record of DA Stephen Zappala in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, and he has been in office since 1999.

And in just a few weeks we have the opportunity to replace him with Matt Dugan, a compassionate and committed leader who is ready to do the work to root out the significant racial disparities in our criminal justice system.

This won’t be easy. We are up against an incumbent who has used his seat for years to turn back any progress the community made. But with your help, we can finally defeat Zappala and elect a champion for justice in Pittsburgh and all of Allegheny County.

Can you make a split donation right now to help replace him with Matt Dugan, the right choice to lead the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office?

CONTRIBUTE $5

There is no doubt that Matt Dugan is the right person for the job. We endorsed him because we know he is a leader who will implement real progressive policies to transform this system that is failing so many Allegheny County residents.

He has devoted his career to ensuring the most marginalized members of our community have access to fair and just outcomes in the courtroom.

As the next DA of Allegheny County, Matt will: 

• Work with local law enforcement agencies to divert low-level, nonviolent cases out of the criminal justice system
• Advocate against the use of cash bail to reduce mass incarceration in Black, brown and marginalized communities
• Implement an Open-file Discovery process to ensure that defendants and defense counsel have full access to the prosecution’s evidence
• Expand services to victims of violent crime, especially sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors

Now is our chance to elect another progressive leader in Pennsylvania who will hold cops accountable, close racial disparities that have criminalized Black and brown communities for decades, and work to transform this unjust justice system.

Can we count on you for a split donation right now to Matt’s campaign and Real Justice so that we can work hard to elect Matt during these last few critical weeks until the election?

In solidarity, 

Real Justice PAC