The top Republican in the state Senate pens a letter blasting a fellow Republican, a former Democratic candidate for Auditor General is appointed to serve in the office, plus the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review names a new managing editor. All of that and more are in this week’s Ups and Downs.

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Doug Mastriano. It appears the Franklin County Republican’s quest to lead a “forensic audit” of the 2020 election in Pennsylvania has come to a close. One day after he took to Facebook Live and claimed that his cause for a “forensic audit” had been “weakened and diminished” due to party leaders, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman issued a statement blasting Mastriano for his recent efforts and instead tapped state Sen. Cris Dush to lead a “thorough review of the election.” 

Tracie Fountain. A former Democratic candidate for Auditor General has been appointed to serve in the office. PennLive reports that Auditor General Tim DeFoor, a Republican, has appointed Tracie Fountain, a longtime employee in the office who ran for the Democratic Party nomination in 2020, to serve as “the agency’s chief transformation officer to modernize its operation.” The move will be effective Aug. 30. 

David Taylor. The President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association is celebrating 25 years with the organization. Jay Timmons, who is President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, said that Taylor’s work has been a “critical factor in creating a strong and vital manufacturing economy both in Pennsylvania and nationwide.”

Edward McAlanis. The volunteer member on the East Cocalico Township board of supervisors was arrested and charged with “violent entry and disorderly conduct in the U.S. Capitol, among other charges” on January 6, LNP | LancasterOnline report. The East Cocalico Township board of supervisors will discuss the charges against McAlanis, who was appointed to a four-year term in 2020 to serve as chairman of the recreation board. 

Dan Meuser. Failing to report family stock purchases. The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader picked up a report from Legistorm, a “non-partisan, for-profit company that researches, verifies and publishes information about members of Congress and congressional staff,” that noted Meuser “failed to report in a timely way that his wife and children purchased as much as $600,000 worth of stock at the depths of the pandemic stock market crash.”

Rita Bishop. The former Democratic hopeful for Erie County Executive has not only been taking shots at the party’s nominee for the November general election, but also is misgendering them. Bishop lost in the Democratic Party primary for Erie County Executive earlier this year to Erie School Board President Dr. Tyler Titus, who was the first openly transgender person to ever be elected in Pennsylvania. Bishop sent out a post on social media, referring to Titus as “she/he,” while also deadnaming them. Bishop followed that up with another social media post a few days later accusing Titus of using their identity as a “qualification” for the countywide office. 

Rob Amen. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a new managing editor. Amen, who has held a “wide range of roles since joining the Valley News Dispatch” in 1997, has been named as the Trib’s new managing editor. Amen has managed the new outlets digital content strategy during the past 5 years and the Tribune-Review reports that they are now “the most visited news website in the Western Pennsylvania market.”

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Wild Friday, guys.

— Jason Gottesman (@jggottesman) August 20, 2021

I can already tell this PA Senate race is going to be just wonderful in my mentions pic.twitter.com/ZkTX4GWOO5

— Jonathan Tamari (@JonathanTamari) August 20, 2021