PA Secretary Of State Kathy Boockvar To Resign

HARRISBURG, PA — Calling it a case of human error, the state's top election official is resigning from her post after her department failed to advertise a proposed constitutional amendment that would retroactively extend the timeline for sexual assault victims to file civil actions against their abusers, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday.

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar will step down from her post on Friday, Gov. Wolf said.

The legislation was in response to a 2018 report that detailed the coverup of child sexual abuse in the Catholic clergy. It passed the legislature in November 2019 but was not publicly advertised in two newspapers of every county in each of the three months before the 2020 general election as required by state law.

Constitutional amendments must pass in two consecutive sessions of the state legislature before being put to voters in a statewide referendum. As house lawmakers prepared for its second passage this week, Department of State staff members noticed that the amendment was not previously advertised, Gov. Wolf said.

The legislation would have given survivors of child sexual abuse an extra two years beyond the statute of limitations for suing.

"The delay caused by this human error will be heartbreaking for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault, advocates and legislators, and I join the Department of State in apologizing to you," Gov. Wolf said. "I share your anger and frustration that this happened, and I stand with you in your fight for justice."

Boockvar, a Bucks County resident, was appointed to the position in 2019 and oversaw a challenging 2020 election, facing calls for her resignation from PA GOP House members who questioned the state's voting numbers. She has maintained that Pennsylvania held a free and fair election, and Gov. Wolf said her resignation was unrelated to the state's "fair and accurate" election process.

“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished for the people of Pennsylvania,” Sec. Boockvar said in a statement. “I’ve always believed that accountability and leadership must be a cornerstone of public service. While I only became aware of the mistake last week, and immediately took steps to alert the administration to the error, I accept responsibility on behalf of the department."

The governor is asking the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General to review the situation and make additional recommendations to improve the department's process for handling constitutional amendments.

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