Several Pennsylvania officials, predominantly in the Scranton area where President Joe Biden is from, are demanding the reversal of the renaming of a freeway spur in his honor in 2021. State Rep. Jamie Walsh criticized Biden’s recent pardon of a judge involved in a “kids-for-cash” scandal, highlighting that children were sentenced to for-profit prisons for minor offenses like jaywalking. Walsh, along with other officials, called for the removal of Biden’s name from the expressway sign that leads to downtown Scranton.
The Central Scranton Expressway was renamed the President Biden Expressway in 2021, but officials argue that Biden’s actions, particularly in pardoning the corrupt judge, no longer justify the honor. Brenda Pugh, another state representative, described Biden’s pardon as a travesty and a miscarriage of justice. State Sen. Doug Mastriano also expressed embarrassment over seeing Biden’s name on the highway given his pardon choices. Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak urged the city to restore the freeway’s original name to rebuild trust and show a commitment to upholding city values.
Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti stated that Biden’s commutation of the corrupt judge reopened old wounds for residents and tarnished the city’s reputation. Despite bipartisan calls to remove Biden’s name from the roadways, Cognetti emphasized the city’s pride in having a hometown president. She also stressed the importance of addressing corruption in government separately from Biden’s legacy as a Scranton native. Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized Biden’s decision to pardon the judge, causing pain and sadness in northeastern Pennsylvania.
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