Who is Mark Pinsley, a Democrat running for Pa. auditor general?

As Pennsylvania’s auditor general, Pinsley says he will “audit for impact,” which he defines as helping citizens, enforcing policy, and eliminating waste, in addition to acting as a financial watchdog.

Pinsley says his top goals as auditor general include:

• Conducting a “sweeping, comprehensive audit” of the Pennsylvania public education system, which he called “terribly underfunded.”
• Evaluating county election departments and the support they receive from the state to “ensure Pennsylvania invests in and rigorously defends democracy.”
• Looking at the effectiveness of the state’s workforce development programs.
• Finding savings in state health care spending.

Pinsley has said that as auditor general he wants to prevent state money from being spent at companies that support anti-abortion causes, audit wage theft, and study the economic impact of gun violence.

In February, the Morning Call and The Inquirer reported that Pinsley’s campaign had submitted nominating petitions that contained allegedly forged signatures, including those of several elected officials.

In an email to Spotlight PA, Pinsley said no objections had been raised with the Department of State.

“Certain individuals have chosen alternative avenues to voice their concerns, seemingly bypassing the formal process and using the media as their primary source to issue complaints,” he said. “The deviation from formal procedures raises questions regarding the genuine intent behind these actions, leading us to believe their motivations may extend beyond a sincere desire to address the issues. Instead, garnering media attention may be the primary objective.”

His Democratic opponent, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, has accused Pinsley of racism — a claim Pinsley said is without merit.

In a Ring video that circulated on social media, Kenyatta is seen telling a constituent, “There’s the guy Mark Pinsley, who I told you don’t like Black people.”

The video was recorded inside the home of the mother-in-law of one of Kenyatta’s former state House challengers, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. That candidate, Jon Hankins, was recently removed from the primary ballot following a residency challenge.

In a statement to news outlets, Kenyatta did not explain the basis for the accusation, instead calling the video “dirty political tricks.” Pinsley said the accusation is false and told Lehigh Valley News that it “doesn’t show good temperament.”

Endorsements: VoteVets; Parents’ Medical Rights Group.

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania.