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Anne Covey
2012 - Present
2032
13
Anne Covey (Republican Party) is a judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. She assumed office in 2012. Her current term ends on January 5, 2032.
Covey ran for re-election for judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. She won in the retention election on November 2, 2021.
Biography
Anne Covey received her B.A. in 1981 from the University of Delaware. She went on to earn her J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 1984. She graduated cum laude from law school and served as an associate editor of the school's Law Review.[1]
Career
- 2011-Present: Judge, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
- 2002-2011: Member, Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (appointed by Governor Mark Schweiker)
- 1996-2011: Attorney, Covey & Associates, P.C.
- 1994-1996: Partner, Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla
- 1988-1994: Attorney, McCarter & English
- 1987-1988: Attorney, Blank Rome
- 1985-1987: Judicial law clerk, Commonwealth Court
- 1984-1985: Assistant counsel, Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board[1][2][3]
Awards and associations
- American Jurisprudence Award
- National speaker, Society for Human Resource Management
- Faculty member, American Compensation Association
- Adjunct professor, Monmouth University
- Barrister, Employment Law American Inns of Court
- Commonwealth Court Historical Society
- Bucks County Bar Association
- American Bar Association[1][4]
Elections
2021
See also: Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2021
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Anne Covey was retained to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on November 2, 2021 with 61.8% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
61.8
|
1,410,818 | ||
No |
38.2
|
872,863 | |||
Total Votes |
2,283,681 | ||||
|
|
2015
- See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2015
Pennsylvania's judicial elections included a primary on May 19, 2015, and a general election on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates was March 11, 2015.
| Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Three seats, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kevin M. Dougherty |
18.5% | 1,079,835 | |
| Democratic | David N. Wecht |
18.4% | 1,070,568 | |
| Democratic | Christine Donohue |
18.2% | 1,059,167 | |
| Republican | Judith Olson | 15.2% | 887,409 | |
| Republican | Michael A. George | 13.6% | 796,124 | |
| Republican | Anne Covey | 13.6% | 795,330 | |
| Independent Judicial Alliance | Paul P. Panepinto | 2.5% | 144,403 | |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 | ||
| Total Votes | 5,832,836 | |||
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial General Election Results," November 3, 2015 | ||||
| Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Three seats, Republican Primary, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Judith Olson |
22.1% | 177,199 |
| Michael A. George |
21.7% | 173,683 |
| Anne Covey |
20.2% | 161,680 |
| Cheryl Lynn Allen | 13.9% | 111,112 |
| Rebecca L. Warren | 11.7% | 93,688 |
| Correale Stevens Incumbent | 10.5% | 83,815 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 801,177 | |
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2015 Municipal Primary Unofficial Results," May 19, 2015 | ||
Recommendation
During the Pennsylvania Bar Association's second round of ratings for Supreme Court candidates, Covey was not recommended. The rating was based on a campaign TV ad Covey used during her 2011 election, which the bar believed violated her pledge to abstain from false or misleading campaign advertising. The ad in question criticized her opponent, Kathryn Boockvar, for supporting a bill that would require voter registration forms to be provided to newly-released inmates. Covey said the law would cost tax payers money, which Boockvar denied. The bill did not become law. In response, Covey expressed dissatisfaction that her rating was based on a single ad.
| “ | The PBA should judge candidates on their legal acumen and the totality of their career and experience. Their failure to do so makes a mockery of their process.[5] | ” |
| —Judge Anne Covey[6][7] | ||
Endorsements
- Local No. 22 Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union
- Firearms Owners Against Crime
- Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
- Pennsylvanians for Effective Government
- Bucks County FOP Lodge #53
- Chester County ACTION
- Pentecostal Clergy Political Action Committee[8]
Race background
Three open seats were up for election on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2015. Going into the primary, there were 12 candidates running for the court. One open seat was the result of the retirement of Chief Justice Ronald Castille in December 2014. The other two seats were made vacant by resignations. In May 2013, Justice Joan Orie Melvin resigned after her conviction for campaign corruption. The second resignation occurred in October 2014, when Justice Seamus P. McCaffery left the court due to both his implication in an FBI investigation involving the exchange of referral fees between his wife and several law firms, and his involvement in a scandal wherein sexually explicit emails were forwarded from his personal email account to court employees.
Justice Correale Stevens was appointed to the bench by Governor Tom Corbett (R) in June 2013 to replace Joan Orie Melvin. He ran unsuccessfully in 2015 to keep his seat on the court.[9]
Campaign finances in the primary
May reporting period
The candidates for the May 19 primary had $2,127,498.74 in cash on hand as of the last pre-primary reporting period. Michael A. George (R) had the most cash on hand at $497,325.16, while Rebecca L. Warren (R) had the lowest total at $2,574.97. The biggest contribution during this reporting period was $50,000 from Ronald Caplan, president of PMC Property Group, to Democratic candidate Kevin M. Dougherty.
| Pre-primary campaign finance, May 2015[10] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Cash on hand ($) | Highest contribution ($) | Contributor(s) |
| Michael A. George |  Republican |
497,325.16 | 5,000 | Friends of Rich Alloway |
| David N. Wecht |  Democratic |
450,877.64 | 20,000 | Fairness PA |
| Kevin M. Dougherty | Democratic |
422,421.91 | 50,000 | Ronald Caplan, President, PMC Property Group |
| Anne Lazarus | Democratic |
224,663.64 | 5,000 | Fairness PA, Alan Ominsky |
| Anne Covey | Republican |
149,229.72 | 25,000 | Anthony & Catherine Misitano |
| John H. Foradora | Democratic |
137,130.66 | 10,000 | Monica Mitchell |
| Judith Olson | Republican |
111,688.92 | 25,000 | PA Future Fund |
| Christine Donohue | Democratic |
53,299.01 | 10,000 | Carpenters PAC of Philadelphia & Vicinity |
| Dwayne D. Woodruff | Democratic |
42,129.39 | 5,000 | Franco Harris, Former player, Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club |
| Correale Stevens | Republican |
18,777.49 | 20,000 | Alan H. Potamkin |
| Cheryl Lynn Allen | Republican |
17,380.23 | 10,000 | Fairness PA |
| Rebecca L. Warren | Republican |
2,574.97 | 500 | John Kasha |
April reporting period
Three candidates reported campaign receipts exceeding $500,000 in finance reports filed on April 7. Kevin M. Dougherty (D) took the cash-on-hand lead with $584,666.22 in the bank, followed by David N. Wecht (D) at $546,220.24 and Michael A. George (R) at $508,459.63. Eight of the nine remaining primary candidates totaled approximately $898,000 on hand by early April, with Rebecca L. Warren (R) having a negative cash balance. The fundraising advantage through March rested with Democratic candidates, who totaled $1.94 million on hand compared to $595,000 for Republican candidates.[11]
| Pre-primary campaign finance, April 2015[12] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Cash on hand ($) | Highest contribution ($) | Contributor(s) |
| Kevin M. Dougherty | Democratic |
584,666.22 | 100,000 | Local Union #98 I.B.E.W. Committee On Political Education |
| David N. Wecht | Democratic |
546,220.24 | 25,000 | Daniel Berger, Attorney |
| Michael A. George | Republican |
508,459.63 | 500,000 | Gary Lowenthal, Founder, Boyds Bears |
| John H. Foradora | Democratic |
391,074.05 | 100,000 | John H. Foradora |
| Anne Lazarus | Democratic |
262,093.08 | 75,000 | Anne Lazarus |
| Christine Donohue | Democratic |
184,727.00 | 5,000 | Commonwealth Heritage PAC, I.B.E.W. Local 5, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel and 13 individual donors |
| Anne Covey | Republican |
56,540.38 | 25,000 | PA Future Fund |
| Correale Stevens | Republican |
44,101.58 | 5,000 | Pennsylvania Society of Physicians Assistants, Gillespie, Miscavige, Ferdinand & Baranko LLC and four individual donors |
| Dwayne D. Woodruff | Democratic |
29,514.80 | 5,000 | Arthur J. Rooney II, President, Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club |
| Cheryl Lynn Allen | Republican |
17,135.00 | 10,000 | Eldora Ellison, Retired |
| Judith Olson | Republican |
842.06 | 1,000 | Carl G. Grefenstette, Director, Hillman Foundation |
| Rebecca L. Warren | Republican |
-2,668.35 | 5,000 | Rebecca L. Warren |
April 8 candidate forum
A candidate forum at the Free Library of Philadelphia on April 8 showcased candidate concerns over the influence of money in judicial elections. Five candidates participated in the forum: Anne Lazarus (D), John H. Foradora (D), David N. Wecht (D), Dwayne D. Woodruff (D) and Cheryl Lynn Allen (R). All of the candidates at the forum argued that more campaign cash presented issues for judicial races, though none believed that eliminating elections would be the right solution. Foradora argued that campaign cash potentially damages the court's integrity, while Woodruff suggested that higher finance requirements presented a barrier to entry for qualified candidates. Allen advocated for nonpartisan elections as a counterweight to increasing partisanship on the court.[13]
Failed nominations
In February 2015, Governor Tom Wolf (D) nominated both Ken Gormley, a law professor for the Duquesne University School of Law, and Judge Thomas Kistler of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas. However, after a Christmas email sent by Kistler and a halt to confirm Gormley, Wolf said he planned no further nominations to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.[14]
Kistler asked that his nomination be withdrawn after a report surfaced of a racially insensitive e-greeting sent out by Kistler to friends in 2013. The e-greeting depicted a black couple, with the male wearing prison garb behind a glass window and his female visitor speaking to him via a jailhouse phone. The caption attached to the e-greeting said, "Merry Christmas from the Johnsons," and Kistler sent the greeting with a subject heading of "Best Christmas card ever."[15]
Gormley's nomination came under scrutiny when reports of harassment complaints filed in 2006 against Gormley were circulated among the Senate Judiciary Committee. An internal Duquesne University report, which had been cited in a lawsuit filed against Gormley, recommended that Gormley not supervise women because he had shared "an unsubstantiated rumor" regarding a female professor. The suit was later settled by the female professor and the university.[15]
2011
Covey ran for the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court in 2011. She defeated Paul P. Panepinto in the Republican primary on May 17, winning 70.2 percent of the vote.[16] She defeated Kathryn Boockvar in the general election on November 8, winning 52.3 percent of the vote.[17][18]
- See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2011
Recommendation
- Rated as Recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association[19]
Endorsements
- Endorsed by the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Anne Covey did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2015
| “ |
Judge Covey is best known as the trial judge in the case of Corman v. NCAA. Judge Covey authored the opinion that ruled the Endowment Act constitutional and kept $60 million of Penn State funds in Pennsylvania. The $60 million went to help victims of abuse right here in Pennsylvania. Judge Covey has interpreted the law in a fair and efficient manner. She has not used foreign law either as a precedent or as informing her decisions and opinions. Judge Covey’s opinions have sought to be clear and concise, yet detailed enough to provide litigants with an unambiguous understanding of the law. Such unambiguous opinions reduce the need for future litigation and expense to our economy and to taxpayers. Judge Covey was the first woman (and to date only) appointed to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. She was first appointed by Governor Schweiker and re-appointed by Governor Ed Rendell. [5] |
” |
| —Covey for Justice Committee (2015)[20] | ||
Judicial philosphy: recusals
During the 2011 campaign, The Patriot-News newspaper asked candidates for the statewide races when it would be appropriate for a judge to recuse herself or himself from a case. In response, Covey said, "I don’t think you should automatically recuse even if it’s a large campaign donor. Otherwise you can’t fulfill your duty as an elected judge."[21]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Covey is married with two children.[2]
See also
2021 Elections
External links
|
Officeholder Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pennsylvania Courts, "Judge Anne E. Covey," accessed April 27, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpagop - ↑ GoErie.com, "Court candidate Covey campaigns in Erie," August 11, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Historical Society, "Current Judges," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Morning Call, "Correction: Olson received "highly recommended" rating," February 12, 2015
- ↑ Pennsylvania Bar Association, "Judicial Evaluation Commission Releases Second Round of 2015 Judicial Ratings," February 10, 2015
- ↑ Covey for Justice, "Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ TribLive.com, "Much at stake as 16 vie for historic 3 vacancies on Pa. Supreme Court," January 11, 2015
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Online Reporting," accessed May 18, 2015
- ↑ TribLive, "3 candidates for Pennsylvania Supreme Court have more than $500k on hand for primary election," April 7, 2015
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Online Reporting," accessed April 22, 2015
- ↑ Philly.com, "5 running for Pa.'s top court agree: Judicial races cost too much," April 8, 2015
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Senate GOP may not fill 2 vacancies on Pennsylvania’s high court," February 24, 2015
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Philly.com, "Two Supreme Court nominees under fire," February 22, 2015
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2011 Municipal Primary Official Results"
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2011 Primary Candidates"
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial Elections Returns"
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "State judicial races often exercises in anonymity," October 23, 2011
- ↑ Covey for Justice, "Home," accessed April 26, 2015
- ↑ Pennlive, "Editorial: Pa. judge races are attracting more money and potential bias," October 29, 2011
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