Did Bryan Lentz Ghost Vote in Harrisburg?

DREXEL HILL, PA – Having someone vote in your stead – a practice referred to as ghost voting – was an activity that Bryan Lentz wanted to ban in 2007.  So why was he absent from the floor for several votes yesterday while his voting record marks him as casting a vote? 
 
Following reports from eyewitnesses that Bryan Lentz wasn’t present when his votes were cast during the last several session days, the Meehan for Congress campaign sent an observer to watch the floor proceedings yesterday.  A copy of our log of Bryan Lentz’s ghost votes from Tuesday, October 5, 2010 is available upon request.
 
In a taxpayer-funded newsletter in 2007 sent to constituents, Lentz touted the ban on ghost voting, saying “Members must be present on the House floor to vote.”  He also said the reform was necessary to “provide greater openness in state government and accountability to the public.”  Lentz went onto say, “These reforms will help re-establish the sense of trust between lawmakers and the citizens they represent…”  (Official Newsletter, State Representative Bryan Lentz, 2007)
 
“This is another example of Bryan Lentz saying one thing and doing another.  Supporting a ban on ghost voting then using that very practice is the ultimate hypocrisy and a slap in the face to his constituents who expect him to be their voice in Harrisburg.  A legislator’s most important responsibility is to cast votes on legislative business, and Bryan Lentz abdicated that responsibility,” said Bryan Kendro, campaign manager for Pat Meehan. “Bryan Lentz is just another typical politician, and how can we reform Washington with a politician who refused to do it in Harrisburg?”
 
We ask members of the media to ask Bryan Lentz the following questions:
 
–          Did you have a colleague ghost vote for you at any time yesterday?
–          Did you ghost vote for any of your colleagues yesterday?
–          You said in your 2007 newsletter that you believed “members must be present on the House floor to cast a vote.”  Have you changed your position on that?
–          How do you explain to your constituents that you didn’t feel it was necessary for you to vote personally on the legislative matters before the House?
 
Bryan Lentz’s hypocrisy on the practice of ghost voting comes just days after it was discovered that Lentz flip-flopped on taking a taxpayer-funded car, flip-flopped on submitting per diems and voted to water down reform legislation that he previously supported.
About Pat Meehan

A former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the former District Attorney of Delaware County, Pat Meehan has a proven record of rooting out government waste and corruption, prosecuting tough criminal cases, and implementing innovative new programs to make our communities safer.  As U.S. Attorney, Meehan helped coordinate the region’s terrorism preparedness and response, held manufacturers responsible for illegally discharging hazardous materials into the region’s waters, and established a group to crackdown on predatory lending.  Pat, his wife Carolyn and their three sons Patrick, Jack and Colin, reside in Drexel Hill, Delaware County.  For more information, please visit www.meehanforcongress.com.