About Bob Casey Bob Casey with his wife Terese and their daughters Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bob Casey, Jr., 45, graduated from The College of the Holy Cross in 1982 and spent the following year teaching fifth grade and coaching an eighth grade basketball team in inner city Philadelphia for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.  He received his law degree from Catholic University in 1988 and entered the practice of law in Scranton.  Casey was elected Auditor General in 1996 and re-elected in 2000.  In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.  In 2004, he was elected State Treasurer, winning more votes than any other candidate for any state or federal office in the history of the Commonwealth. Bob Casey stands with workers As Auditor General – the Commonwealth’s independently elected fiscal watchdog and whistle blower – Casey aggressively fought to stop waste and fraud involving tax dollars and improve the effectiveness of government services and agencies.  His efforts directly resulted in changes that have saved Pennsylvania taxpayers more than $1 billion. Casey’s 2002 review of state contracting practices revealed that over $3 billion in state contracts had been awarded to 1,800 firms that owed taxes or other monies to the Commonwealth or that had been banned from state projects for fraudulent billing practices.  Bob Casey fights for senior citizens His investigation of Pennsylvania’s long term care system revealed that the state Health Department was letting weeks and months elapse before investigating complaints about life-threatening conditions at nursing homes.  Now, as a result of his leadership and advocacy, all life-threatening nursing home complaints must be investigated within 24 hours. Casey’s investigation of compliance with Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law found that less than one-half of one percent of the state’s convicted sex offenders were subject to the community notification requirements that were supposed to inform local residents when a sex offender moved into their area.  Casey’s shocking report and his subsequent demands for change led to passage of tough new legislation in 2004 that requires information about all convicted sex offenders to be posted on the Internet. Bob Casey works tirelessly for Pennsylvania's children Casey has also been a tireless advocate on behalf of children.  He fought successfully to get the Department of Public Welfare to change many of its policies after his first-ever performance audit of the state’s child care oversight system found serious problems including unreported child abuse, late investigations of “high-risk” complaints, and child care centers operating with expired licenses.  He also successfully pushed Governor Ridge to mandate criminal background checks for state-funded child care providers after his audits found 25 individuals with criminal backgrounds caring for children at taxpayer expense. In 2000, after months of relentless advocacy and Casey’s discovery that the state was failing to spend its federal child care funds, Casey forced Governor Ridge to roll back unfair and unnecessary hikes in child care fees charged to struggling working families.  If it had not been for Casey’s tenacious efforts, these excessive fee increases would have remained in effect and the state would have forfeited millions of dollars in federal child care funds back to the federal government because of the state’s failure to use them. Tyree Harris, one of Casey's former students from the Gesu School In 2001, a groundbreaking Casey audit demonstrated that qualified women- and minority-owned businesses were being unfairly shut out of state contracts.  Casey followed up the audit with creation of a statewide task force whose recommendations are now being implemented by Governor Rendell. Casey is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Beacon Award from the Pennsylvania Child Care Association and the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award from the Interdenominational Ministers Conference.   He has also been one of the state’s most outspoken advocates for affordable health insurance and better working conditions, training and pay for nurses and nurses’ aides. Casey and his wife, Terese, were married in 1985 and live in Scranton with their four daughters: Elyse, Caroline, Julia and Marena.  Casey is the eldest son of the late Governor Robert P. Casey and his wife, Ellen.  Throughout his public career, Bob Casey has been guided by the legacy of his father, and an inscription on the state office building in which he works that reads “All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor."