York County News

State Representative Seth Grove (R-York) has called on State Attorney General Michelle Henry to investigate the recent IT failure that resulted in the deletion of files from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and State Employee Retirement System (SERS). Grove expressed concern that the deleted files may have contained crucial criminal evidence that could impact ongoing investigations and prosecutions.

In a letter to Attorney General Henry, Grove stated, "The loss of these files could negatively affect the investigation and prosecution of many criminal cases. While Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has chalked this up to ‘human error’ – which I hope is the case – I am requesting an investigation from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to ensure the employee responsible is not connected to these deleted criminal evidence files in any way."

Grove also urged the attorney general to provide a list of best practices from the investigation to prevent similar record retention issues in the future. He highlighted the need for improved IT governance, oversight, and cybersecurity standards, noting that Pennsylvania has experienced multiple IT failures in recent years.

"For the past eight years, Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill and I have introduced legislation which would establish IT governance, oversight, and cybersecurity standards with House Bill 883 and Senate Bill 284," Grove stated. "Time and time again, Pennsylvania has shown it is behind the ball in IT oversight and cybersecurity. I am hopeful this administration will support this legislation and do what is best for Pennsylvanians."

The deletion of the files from the PSP and SERS has raised concerns about the potential impact on criminal investigations. Representative Grove's call for an investigation by the state attorney general aims to ensure accountability and prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.