Pat Browne
{{Short description|American politician (born 1963)}}
{{other people|Patrick Browne}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Pat Browne
|image = Pat Browne.jpg
|office = Secretary of Revenue of Pennsylvania
|governor = Josh Shapiro
|term_start = June 29, 2023
|predecessor = C. Daniel Hassell
|state_senate2 = Pennsylvania
|district2 = 16th
|term_end2 = {{end date|2022|11|30}}
|predecessor2 = Charlie Dent
|successor2 = Jarrett Coleman
| state_house3 = Pennsylvania
| district3 = 131st
| constituency3 = Part of Lehigh County
| predecessor3 = Karen Ritter
| successor3 = Karen Beyer
| party = Republican
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|12|08|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| alma_mater = University of Notre Dame
Temple University Law School
| profession = Legislator – CPA – Attorney
| residence = Allentown, Pennsylvania
| spouse = Heather Browne
| website = http://www.senatorbrowne.com/
}}
Patrick M. Browne (born December 8, 1963) is an American accountant, lawyer, and politician. A Republican, he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1995–2005) and Pennsylvania Senate (2005–2022). On January 12, 2023, Democratic governor-elect Josh Shapiro nominated Browne to serve as secretary of revenue.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/capitol-ideas/mc-nws-pa-shapiro-browne-nominate-20230112-mi3adgskgndt5o6c2dxlw4wr3m-story.html|title = Pa. Gov.-elect Shapiro nominates former Sen. Pat Browne to be state secretary of revenue |date = 12 January 2023}}
Biography
Browne is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Temple University Law School. He is a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School.
Prior to his election to the State Senate, Browne worked as Certified Public Accountant and attorney. He also was a tax manager for Coopers and Lybrand from 1990 to 1994 and a tax supervisor for Price Waterhouse from 1986 to 1990.
Browne was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1994 to 2005.{{cite web| title = Patrick M. Browne (Republican)| work = Official Pennsylvania House of Representatives Profile| publisher = Pennsylvania House of Representatives| url = http://www.house.state.pa.us/members/districts/131/131.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20000201141444/http://www.house.state.pa.us/members/districts/131/131.htm| archive-date=2000-02-01}} In 2005, he won a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Charlie Dent who resigned to take a seat in the United States House of Representatives.
Browne became Senate Appropriations Committee chairman in November 2014. He was also a member of the Communications & Technology, Education, Finance and Transportation Committees.
Browne has been arrested three times for DUI offenses, most recently in 2015 following a motorcycle accident resulting in a punctured lung.{{cite web| title = PA Sen. Pat Browne charged with DUI for third time, police say| date = 9 May 2015| publisher = Allentown Morning Call, mcall.com| url = https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-t-pa-senator-pat-browne-drunk-crash-20150508-story.html| access-date = 2020-01-22| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191204203019/https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-t-pa-senator-pat-browne-drunk-crash-20150508-story.html| archive-date = 2019-12-04| url-status = live}} Browne's longtime campaign committee treasurer, Michael P. Ellwood, was arrested in September, 2019 on 179 criminal counts involving the embezzlement of $578K in campaign funds over 11 years.{{cite web| title = Ex-treasurer stole $578K from Sen. Pat Browne's election committee, AG alleges| date = 24 September 2019| publisher = Kurt Bresswein for lehighvalleylive.com| url = https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/2019/09/ex-treasurer-stole-578k-from-sen-pat-brownes-election-committee-ag-alleges.html| access-date = 2020-01-22| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191227172535/https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/2019/09/ex-treasurer-stole-578k-from-sen-pat-brownes-election-committee-ag-alleges.html| archive-date = 2019-12-27| url-status = live}}
Browne has been accused of corruption with regard to legislation he wrote in 2009 to give tax breaks to companies in a newly designated Neighborhood Improvement Zone in Allentown. His wife Heather was hired as a lobbyist with Harrisburg-based Pugliese Associates in 2010 and then quickly hired by multiple companies that benefited substantially from the NIZ provisions. Several beneficiaries of the NIZ have also made significant campaign contributions to Pat Browne, according to state records. Browne also pushed in 2013 to designate a City Revitalization and Improvement Zone in Bethlehem with similar tax breaks, and the same year Heather Browne was hired as a lobbyist by the biggest potential beneficiary of that fiscal arrangement.{{cite web| title = Allentown hockey arena area office developer hires senator's wife| date = 30 January 2012| publisher = Morning Call| url = https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-xpm-2012-01-30-mc-allentown-hockey-arena-lobbyist-20120130-story.html| access-date = 2020-01-22| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043134/https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-xpm-2012-01-30-mc-allentown-hockey-arena-lobbyist-20120130-story.html| archive-date = 2019-12-06| url-status = live}}{{cite web| title = Sen. Pat Browne's wife hired by firms to benefit from Allentown hockey arena legislation| date = 31 January 2012| publisher = Colin McEvoy for The Express Times| url = https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/2012/01/pat_brownes_wife_hired_by_firm.html| access-date = 2020-01-22| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043855/https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/2012/01/pat_brownes_wife_hired_by_firm.html| archive-date = 2019-12-06| url-status = live}}{{cite web| title = Martin Tower Developer Used NIZ Lobbyist and Heather Browne For CRIZ| date = 25 November 2015| publisher = Bernie O'Hare for Lehigh Valley Ramblings| url = https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2015/11/martin-tower-developer-used-niz.html| access-date = 2020-01-22| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043752/https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2015/11/martin-tower-developer-used-niz.html| archive-date = 2019-12-06| url-status = live}}
In 2019 Browne announced that he had succeeded in diverting hundreds of millions of dollars of PennDOT funding to a project that will add another interchange on a rural stretch of Route 78, though he admitted that area residents oppose it. His stated purpose in advocating for the interchange was to allow businesses to build warehouses on cheap farmland in one of the few areas of the Lehigh Valley where until then they had not proliferated.{{cite web| title = Route 22 widening cut as PennDOT shifts funding to Interstate 78, with $395 million in improvements| date = 5 December 2019| publisher = Morning Call| url = https://www.mcall.com/business/transportation/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-interstate-78-update-20191204-lifyztkuejadxgiovamwvfnt7q-story.html| access-date = 2020-01-22| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191206195313/https://www.mcall.com/business/transportation/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-interstate-78-update-20191204-lifyztkuejadxgiovamwvfnt7q-story.html| archive-date = 2019-12-06| url-status = live}}
Browne narrowly lost renomination in the 2022 Republican primary to Parkland School Board member Jarrett Coleman, who defeated Browne by only 24 votes.{{cite news |last=Reinhard |first=Katherine |date=May 26, 2022 |title=Jarrett Coleman declares victory over Pa. Sen Browne in Lehigh Valley GOP primary |url=https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/jarrett-coleman-declares-victory-over-pa-sen-browne-in-lehigh-valley-gop-primary|work= Pennsylvania Capital-Star}}{{cite news |last=Reinhard |first=Katherine |date=November 10, 2022 |title= For three open seats in Legislature, Lehigh Valley picks two Democrats, one Republican |url=https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/for-three-open-seats-in-legislature-lehigh-valley-picks-two-democrats-one-republican|work= Pennsylvania Capital-Star}}
On January 12, 2023, Democratic governor-elect Josh Shapiro nominated Browne to serve as secretary of revenue.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/capitol-ideas/mc-nws-pa-shapiro-browne-nominate-20230112-mi3adgskgndt5o6c2dxlw4wr3m-story.html|title = Pa. Gov.-elect Shapiro nominates former Sen. Pat Browne to be state secretary of revenue |date = 12 January 2023}} Brown took office on June 29, after the Pennsylvania State Senate failed to act within the constitutionally prescribed 25-legislative-day period.{{Cite web |last=Ulrich |first=Steve |date=2023-06-28 |title=Cabinet: Schmidt, Arkoosh, Browne In; Bogen, Hammer Out |url=https://www.politicspa.com/cabinet-schmidt-arkoosh-browne-in-bogen-hammer-out/122933/ |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=PoliticsPA |language=en-US}}
Family
Pat Browne is the older brother of the acclaimed fashion designer Thom Browne who designed past First Lady Michelle Obama's 2013 Inauguration day ensemble.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainment-general/2013/01/allentown_designer_thom_browne.html|title = Allentown designer Thom Browne picked for Michelle Obama's inauguration coat and dress|date = 22 January 2013}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senate_bio.cfm?districtnumber=16 Pennsylvania State Senate – Pat Browne] official PA Senate website
- [http://www.senatorbrowne.com/ Senator Browne] official caucus website
- [http://www.patbrowneforsenate.com/ Browne for Senate] official campaign website
- [https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/2019/09/ex-treasurer-stole-578k-from-sen-pat-brownes-election-committee-ag-alleges.html] campaign fund embezzlement arrest
- [https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-xpm-2012-01-30-mc-allentown-hockey-arena-lobbyist-20120130-story.html] hire wife lobbyist NIZ
- [https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/2012/01/pat_brownes_wife_hired_by_firm.html] conflict of interest NIZ
- [https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2015/11/martin-tower-developer-used-niz.html] Martin Tower wife lobbyist CRIZ
- [https://www.mcall.com/business/transportation/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-interstate-78-update-20191204-lifyztkuejadxgiovamwvfnt7q-story.html] Route 78 interchange warehouses
{{CongLinks| votesmart =9093}}
{{Shapiro cabinet}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, Pat}}
Category:State cabinet secretaries of Pennsylvania
Category:Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators
Category:Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:Pennsylvania Republicans
Category:Politicians from Allentown, Pennsylvania
Category:University of Notre Dame alumni
Category:Temple University Beasley School of Law alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Category:Pennsylvania politicians convicted of crimes
Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly