Site of News Event Questioned

A candidate for governor wants to extend Pennsylvania’s electric rate caps by two more years. But questions about the location of Tom Knox’s press conference drowned out talk of energy policy.
When candidate Tom Knox called for extended rate caps and proposed a state power purchasing authority, he did so from the Capitol Media Center, a publicly -funded room meant for “non-political events,” according to the Department of General Services website.
Knox said he wasn’t there to campaign, but reporters were handed papers with “Knox for Governor” headings.
When pressed on the matter, the Democrat said he’d reimburse the state for the room, if anyone objected.

"If – if that’s a perceived problem we should pay."

Knox’s campaign policy director, Chris Craig, told reporters there wasn’t anything wrong with the Capitol Media Center press conference.

"It’s here for your convenience, so you could all show up. If we had it, for instance, in front of PPL headquarters, would you all have shown up?"


Representative Sam Rohrer, who’s running for governor as a Republican, says Knox was wrong to use the Capitol Media Center for his press conference.

"A campaign event should not be run out of this building. I think that’s what this whole investigation is about."


A DGS spokesman says it “probably wasn’t appropriate” for Knox to hand out campaign materials in the Media Center, though he notes the room was booked “in accordance with [the department’s] rules.”