Pennsylvania Democrats want to know why they weren’t told when a Republican lawmaker tested positive for coronavirus

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Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania are voicing growing outrage after the belated revelation that one of their Republican colleagues had tested positive for the coronavirus, with allegations of a cover-up prompting calls for the House GOP leader to resign and one Democrat even calling for an official investigation.

Lawmakers learned Wednesday that state Rep. Andrew Lewis (R., Dauphin) had tested positive a full week earlier, on May 20. Lewis said he immediately began self-isolating after receiving the test result, and that he informed House officials, who worked to identify anyone he may have exposed.

But while some Republican lawmakers have confirmed being notified of their potential exposure and self-isolating as a result, Democrats say they only learned of it from a reporter — despite their own daily proximity to Lewis.

Rep. Kevin Boyle (D., Philadelphia) sent a letter late Wednesday to state Attorney General Josh Shapiro seeking an investigation into what he called a failure to notify lawmakers and staff of the positive test as required under guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We absolutely need to know more about what circumstances [led] to this ill-advised decision by House Republican leadership,” Boyle wrote. “Why has it taken so long for House Republican leadership and Representative Lewis to notify exposed members and staff?”

I’m asking @JoshShapiroPA @PAAttorneyGen to investigate this lack of disclosure by House Republican leaders @RepTurzai & @RepBryanCutler of a #Covid_19 outbreak at the Pennsylvania Capitol. We should know if any criminal or ethical laws were broken. pic.twitter.com/G6XWFDAP0x

— Rep. Kevin J. Boyle (@RepKevinBoyle) May 28, 2020

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The call for a formal investigation raised the stakes on an already heated partisan split over how to responsibly legislate during the pandemic.

The legislature passed temporary rules in March allowing its members to vote remotely. In the House, the change allows lawmakers to submit votes to their respective party leaders. But those leaders and committee chairs still need to come to the Capitol to formally consider any legislation.

Many Republicans have opted to travel to the Capitol to vote in person, and a number of them have eschewed wearing face masks, following President Donald Trump in bucking guidance from public health officials. That includes state Rep. Russ Diamond (R., Lebanon), one of at least two House members who were notified they had to self-quarantine after Lewis tested positive for the virus.

Lefties whine because I self-quarantined but didn’t get tested after possible COVID “contact.” Confirmed by my doc: No reason for testing, even if I could get tested without symptoms. I feel like a million bucks! Well, $500k after lefties tax me.

— Russ Diamond (@russdiamond) May 27, 2020

Lewis has said he kept his diagnosis private “out of respect for my family, and those who I may have exposed.”

Mike Straub, a spokesperson for House Republicans, has said officials followed state and federal guidelines requiring employers to identify employees who were in close contact (within about 6 feet) with a person with a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.

“Absolutely anyone, from anywhere in the Capitol, who may have been exposed within those guidelines was notified,” Straub said.

Shapiro’s office hasn’t yet commented on the call for an investigation.

Several Democratic members have called on House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) to resign over the incident, including Rep. Brian Sims, who sits on a House committee with Lewis.

Sims posted an impassioned 11-minute video on Facebook late Wednesday ripping Republicans. It had more than one million views as of Thursday morning.

“I just spent the better part of the last eleven weeks sitting across the room from people who would eventually test positive and decided not to tell us,” Sims said in the video. “We have had to listen to members telling us this was fake, this wasn’t real, all the while knowing they were testing positive and withholding that from us.”