Questions arise over location of candidate’s press conference

Questions about the location of Tom Knox’s press conference drowned out talk of energy policy.

A candidate for governor wants to extend Pennsylvania’s electric rate caps by two more years. But questions about the location of Tom Knox’s press conference drowned out talk of energy policy.

When candidate Tom Knox called for extended rate caps and proposed a state power purchasing authority, he did so from the Capitol Media Center, a publicly funded room meant for “non-political events,” according to the Department of General Services website.

Knox said he wasn’t there to campaign, but reporters were handed papers with “Knox for Governor” headings. When pressed on the matter, the Democrat said he’d reimburse the state for the room, if anyone objected.

Knox: If – if that’s a perceived problem we should pay.

Representative Sam Rohrer, who’s running in the Republican gubernatorial primary, says the venue was a mistake.

Rohrer: A campaign event should not be run out of this building. I think that’s what this whole investigation is about.

A DGS spokesman says it “probably wasn’t appropriate” for Knox to hand out campaign materials in the Media Center, though he notes the room was booked “in accordance with [the department’s] rules.”