Berks County News

Rep. David Maloney of Berks County expressed concerns over the Pennsylvania Game Commission's handling of funds from the sale of Hunter Heritage license plates. This announcement came during the PGC’s Annual Report before the House Game and Fisheries meeting in Harrisburg.

Maloney, who oversees the investigation, is looking into the financial pathways of these funds. "When I did a Right-to-Know request, the PGC responded it did not have any records of communicating with the governor about the use of these funds as the law requires," Maloney stated. However, when Maloney approached Governor Josh Shapiro’s office for records, he was informed, “the Office of the Governor does not possess, maintain or control the records that you have requested…the Office of the Budget may possess responsive records.” Shapiro described the PGC as an “independent” agency.

The situation is complicated further by the recent transfer of the PGC's website to the governor-controlled pa.gov, a move mirrored by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website. This transition raises more questions about the PGC’s independent status, a point emphasized by Maloney during his inquiry.

Maloney's follow-up with the Office of the Budget returned unsatisfactory responses, with officials there clarifying that “plate fund expenditures do not require advice or approval from the Office of the Budget.”

He criticized the lack of transparency and adherence to the law, emphasizing, "Pennsylvania has a government and governor that ignores the law and/or makes it up as they go along. If the people don’t speak up, this rogue behavior will become enshrined as legal precedent with nary a peep from our state Supreme Court."

Maloney's findings have brought more scrutiny to the PGC's operations, posing questions about the management of funds intended for state sportsmen and the PGC's professed autonomy.