Statement from Senator Jim Alton: “I want to speak directly to Pennsylvanians about recent reporting concerning my time as County Executive in Westmoreland County. When our region was losing jobs and families were packing up and leaving, I made it my mission to fight for every opportunity to keep people working close to home. That’s what the Keystone Advanced Components project was about. It wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t about favors. It was about survival. I won’t apologize for leaning in. I won’t apologize for pushing the system to move faster when livelihoods were on the line. Anyone who’s actually governed during a crisis understands that leadership isn’t passive. I’ve also seen reporting about a member of my family taking a job with that company months after the deal was completed. Let me be very clear: I did not hire them, I did not arrange their employment, and I did not benefit financially. They are an adult who made their own career decisions, and I don’t believe public service requires my family to put their lives on hold or move away from the community we’ve always called home. Looking back with today’s standards, I understand that some people would have preferred more distance, more paperwork, more walls between decision-makers and outcomes. But at the time, the rules were followed, disclosures were made, and the community benefited. What I won’t do is pretend that governing is the same as checking boxes, or that helping people stay employed is something to be ashamed of. If that approach is now considered disqualifying, then voters deserve to decide whether they want leaders who act — or leaders who hesitate. I’ve always tried to do what I thought was right. I still believe I did.”