HARRISBURG – Timothy L. DeFoor was sworn in today as Pennsylvania’s 52nd Auditor General and, in so doing, becomes the first African American and person of color in Pennsylvania to be elected to a statewide row office. DeFoor promised taxpayers that he will hold state government accountable for how it spends its citizens’ tax dollars.
“Accountability, integrity and transparency are what Pennsylvania taxpayers expect and deserve from their government in Harrisburg, and that’s exactly what I’ll deliver,” DeFoor said. “I will work hard to ensure our citizens that their hard-earned tax dollars are being used and spent appropriately.”
DeFoor resigned from his previous position as Dauphin County Controller before being sworn in. Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Carolyn H. Nichols administered the oath of office during a ceremony held at the King Mansion in Harrisburg.
DeFoor brings 30 years of experience auditing and investigating government fraud, waste, and abuse to the Department of the Auditor General. Before being elected as Dauphin County Controller in 2015, DeFoor served as a Special Investigator with the Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General and as a Special Agent with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
“While you can’t run government like it’s a business, you can watch how government spends its money, like it’s a business,” DeFoor said. “I’ll aggressively go after waste, fraud and abuse to ensure that state government lives within its means and every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.”
DeFoor is a resident of Susquehanna Township in Dauphin County. He is a graduate of Susquehanna Township High School and has an Associate of Arts degree in paralegal studies from Harrisburg Area Community College; a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh; and a Master of Science degree in project management from the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
The Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General conducts audits to ensure that state tax dollars are spent legally and properly. The General Assembly created the position of Auditor General in 1809. The position was held by gubernatorial appointees until 1850, when it became an elected office with a maximum of two, four-year terms.
Learn more about Auditor General DeFoor’s priorities for Pennsylvania and visit the Department of the Auditor General online at www.paauditor.gov.
Media Contact: Gary Miller, 717-787-1381 or auditor-general-news@paauditor.gov
EDITOR’S NOTE: The text of Auditor General DeFoor’s inaugural remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:
Good morning, and thank you. First, let me thank Gene Barr for the kind introduction. It means a great deal to have you here today, Gene. Thank you. I also want to thank our Honorable State Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols for swearing me in. Thank you for being here, Judge Nichols, and for your service to our great Commonwealth.
I am humbled to see so many fellow public servants here today.
To my fellow elected officials here from Dauphin County; Sen. John DiSanto, and County Commissioners Jeff Haste and Mike Pries, and County Treasurer Janis Creason. I cannot thank you enough for your support over the years. Thank you for being supportive of my work as Dauphin County Controller and of my work in the community. You are all examples of how elected officials can put aside partisan differences to work together for a common cause.
To my friends, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Judges Scott Evans and his wife Barb Zemlock, and the Honorable Royce Morris; thank you for your decades of support but more important, your decades of true friendship.
I also want to recognize Congressman Glenn Thompson and Pennsylvania State Senator Cris Dush for your very early support. When few knew of me, you supported me. Thank you for being here.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t offer a sincere debt of gratitude to the state Republican Party leadership, and my sponsors who are here today, for their unwavering support. Thank you so much, Chairman Lawrence Tabas, Vice Chairwoman Bernie Comfort, National Committeeman Andy Reilly and former National Committeeman Bob Asher for your advice, enthusiasm and support.
To my predecessor, friend, fellow University of Pittsburgh alum, and fellow Star Wars enthusiast, the Honorable Eugene DePasquale, thank you for your service to our Commonwealth. They like to say the Auditor General is Pennsylvania’s fiscal watchdog. Eugene, I can honestly say you were that – and so much more.
On a personal note, I cannot thank you enough, Eugene, for helping ensure a remarkably smooth transition. You and your team have been nothing short of wonderful. Please know that when it’s my time to turn this office over to my successor, I will make sure we live up to the high standard you have set.
I have many personal friends and family to thank, who supported me and never judged me regardless of what was going on in my life. At the top of my list is my Mom, who loves me unconditionally. Mom, thank you for the many sacrifices you and Dad made raising six kids. We know Dad is looking down on us from Heaven, saying, “I’ll be damned; that’s my boy.” I can tell each of you with absolute certainty: I’m here today because of Mom’s sacrifice and love. I have never forgotten a most important lesson you told me many years ago that still applies today, and that is: “What’s done in the dark, comes to light.” Many of us elected officials need to remember that and never forget it. So, please give a warm round of applause for my Mom: Thelma DeFoor.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned on the campaign trail over the past year, short speeches make for long-term success. So, ladies and gentlemen, I’m just going to make you three promises:
Number one: I will look at every issue through a non-partisan lens. My job is to make sure the Commonwealth’s resources are used wisely. That will be my guiding focus – period.
Number two: My door is always open, to everyone. I believe public service is a privilege. I look forward to working on matters that are important to you.
And, number three: No one will work harder for you. I’ve made public service a personal calling. I believe in the goodness it can provide to our communities, and I will work hard every single day to reward the faith you’ve placed in me.
Accountability, integrity and transparency are what Pennsylvania taxpayers expect and deserve from their government in Harrisburg, and that’s exactly what I’ll deliver. I will work hard to ensure our citizens that their hard earned tax dollars are being used and spent appropriately.
While you can’t run government like it’s a business, you can watch how government spends its money, like it’s a business. I’ll aggressively go after waste, fraud and abuse to ensure that state government lives within its means and every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.
Now, as I close, I want to thank my entire transition team, led by my longtime friend and new Chief of Staff, Ken Rapp. Ken and the extraordinary transition team have been tremendous throughout this complicated process. They’ve made it much easier for me to prepare for this awesome responsibility.
As we leave here today, please join me in re-committing to humble public service. In such tumultuous times, humility seems to be in short supply.
I have never forgotten how important it is to remain humble. Nor have I forgotten about those who have paved the way for me. Men like John Lewis and C.T. Vivian who were champions of racial and social justice. Men who paved the way for a shy kid from Susquehanna Township, who hated math, to not only be elected the first African American Auditor General in Pennsylvania, but to be elected the first African American row officer in Pennsylvania.
Thank you all, so much, for being here today. God bless you. God bless your families. God bless our Commonwealth and God bless America.
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