PA lawmakers demand Scranton revert ‘Biden Expy’ name, calling it a ‘scar’ following Kids-4-Cash scandal

Several Pennsylvania officials, particularly in the Scranton area where President Joe Biden hails from, are calling for the city to reverse its decision to rename a freeway spur in his honor in 2021. State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Dallas, led the charge with a scathing statement highlighting Biden’s recent pardon of a judge convicted in a “kids-for-cash” scandal.

Wilkes-Barre Common Pleas Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr. were convicted in 2008 for receiving kickbacks for sentencing juveniles to for-profit prisons. The scandal resulted in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court throwing out 4,000 juvenile convictions. Walsh pointed out that some of the affected children were convicted of minor offenses like jaywalking.

“In light of the recent decision made by the Biden administration to commute former Judge Conahan’s sentence, I implore city officials and Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti to remove President Joe Biden’s name from the expressway sign that leads to the heart of the ‘Electric City’s’ downtown area,” Walsh said in a statement.

The Central Scranton Expressway was renamed the President Biden Expressway in 2021, with the city council and mayor unanimously approving the rebranding. The freeway spur off Interstate 81 and its continuance via then-Spruce Street through downtown were also renamed as “Biden Avenue.”

Walsh argued that Biden no longer deserves the commemoration because his pardon “exonerates [Conahan’s] behavior” and sends a signal to future corrupt public officials. State Rep-elect Brenda Pugh, R-Luzerne, called Biden’s pardon a “travesty” and said that the President Biden Expressway will forever remind people of the scandal that occurred in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak wrote a letter to Mayor Cognetti, urging her to revert “Biden Avenue to Spruce Street” to restore confidence in city leadership. Cognetti expressed her disappointment in Biden’s decision to commute Conahan’s sentence, calling it a “grave error” that reopened deep wounds for Scranton and NEPA residents.

Cognetti noted that the calls to remove Biden’s name from the roadways are mostly grounded in partisanship and emphasized the need to address corruption in government separately from Biden’s legacy as a Scranton native and President of the United States. She highlighted the importance of continuing to celebrate having a hometown son of Scranton as president, despite the controversy surrounding the renaming of the expressway.

Governor Josh Shapiro also criticized Biden’s pardon of Conahan, calling it a “grave error” that caused pain in northeastern Pennsylvania. He stressed the need for presidents to wield their power to grant pardons and clemencies carefully.

The debate over renaming the freeway spur in Biden’s honor continues to divide officials in Pennsylvania, with some calling for the reversal of the decision in light of recent events. The issue remains contentious, with both sides emphasizing the importance of addressing corruption in government while also honoring Biden’s legacy as a Scranton native and President of the United States.