Attorney General nominates Consumer Advocate after politicalization allegations
(WHTM) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has nominated Darryl Lawrence to be the Commonwealth's permanent Consumer Advocate.
Lawrence is currently the Interim Consumer Advocate and was the Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate, and has worked in the department for nearly 20 years. If confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate, Lawrence will represent Commonwealth consumers in public utility service quality and pricing matters permanently.
'I promised I would have an open and transparent process to appoint a Consumer Advocate,' said Attorney General Sunday. 'We accepted numerous applications, held interviews with qualified applicants, and received extensive feedback from stakeholders. I am convinced that Darryl has all the tools required to advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers because that is what he has always done. Darryl has dedicated his career to advocating on behalf of Pennsylvanians who otherwise may not have a voice in the regulatory, judicial, and legislative processes. During his time with the Office of Consumer Advocate, he established a reputation for being tough, fair, and honest. I'm confident that the Commonwealth will be well served by his leadership for this important agency.'
Lawrence has stepped in in the interim after the previous advocate, Patrick Cicero, resigned over what he said are Sunday's ties to utility companies.
'To be nominated for a permanent role as Pennsylvania's Consumer Advocate is indeed an honor,' Acting Consumer Advocate Darryl Lawrence said. 'I take on this new role with a profound sense of duty to always advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers.'
The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate was established by the General Assembly in 1976 to serve the interests of utility ratepayers in Pennsylvania.
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