Email indicates state election chief forced out

HARRISBURG, PA. » Pennsylvania’s former elections chief indicated in an email sent last month to Gov. Tom Wolf that he was forced out of his cabinet-level job, although he resigned.

The Associated Press on Monday obtained an Oct. 11 email from ex-Secretary of State Pedro Cortes in which he told Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf that he could not understand why he was being pushed out.

“I have done a great deal of soul searching in the last 24 hours,” Cortes, 51, emailed early that afternoon. “I remain at a lost to understand why you would dispense with my services without sharing with me concerns you had about my professional performance or personal life. Wished I had that opportunity.” He signed off, “Yours truly, Pedro,” and included his personal cellphone number.

he Wolf administration, in response to the AP’s Right-to-Know Law request, also released an Oct. 12 letter to Cortes from the Democratic governor’s chief of staff, Mike Brunelle. The letter says Cortes had told Brunelle on Oct. 10 he planned to resign and outlined the next steps with human services regarding Cortes’ retirement benefits, returning his state vehicle and similar matters.

A Wolf spokesman declined to elaborate on the documents, which did not explain what Cortes meant by his “professional performance or personal life.”

The governor’s office said last month Cortes had resigned, but offered no details.