Welcome to the latest edition of Voices of Reason where we’ll recap exclusive news and data featured in our most recent podcast.
This new segment dives into the Auditor General, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tim DeFoor, and his background and vision as Auditor General.
Big Names Make News
Auditor General Tim DeFoor explains that “my job is to inform the Governor of what's going on” and to utilize audits “as a tool to determine if things are working the way they are supposed to” in the government. [Watch ([link removed]) ]
Auditor General Tim DeFoor urges government entities to “be transparent and be consistent,” emphasizing that the lack of transparency during COVID led to “small businesses being shut down.” He recommends “talking to business owners first” to ensure better decision-making. [Watch ([link removed]) ]
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Numbers You Need to Know
Elections
* After the 2024 Presidential election, counties conducted a statutorily required 2% statistical audit, which is a random sample of at least 2% of the ballots cast in their county – or 2,000 ballots, confirming that the election results were accurate. [Commonwealth ([link removed]) ]
* Two Special Elections were held on March 25, 2025– electing Democrat James Malone (50.04%) to the State Senate in Lancaster District 36 and Democrat Dan Goughnour (63.4%) to the State House in Allegheny District 35. [NYTimes ([link removed]) ]
Voter Interests
* In 2024, the Auditor General distributed $404.73 million in aid to 1,461 municipalities and regional departments to support pension plans covering police officers, paid firefighters, and non-uniformed employees. [PAAuditor.gov ([link removed]) ]
* In 2024, the Auditor General distributed $68.26 million to 2,501 municipalities for the volunteer firefighters’ relief associations to provide training, purchase equipment, and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters. [PAAuditor.gov ([link removed]) ]
* Routine audits require municipalities to report finances annually but aren't designed to catch internal fraud—highlighting their limits as Gregg Township officials spent over $322K on government credit cards for gambling bets. [SpotlightPA ([link removed]) ]
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PA Auditor General Tim DeFoor on Government Transparency
[link removed]
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In Case You Missed It...
The Voices of Reason podcast has covered the most important issues in Pennsylvania politics – from education funding ([link removed]) to trust in elections ([link removed]) . Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt ([link removed]) , PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity ([link removed]) , and House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris ([link removed]) are just a few of many influential guests who have joined us for exclusive interviews and roundtable discussions.
Visit the Voice of Reason YouTube page ([link removed]) to experience all the great moments you missed.
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