GOP Gov. Candidate Opposes American Rescue Plan, After Collecting $1.4M in PPP Loans

Dave White is a businessman and a Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate within striking distance of the leading the primary pack.

As is common in every GOP campaign from Congress to city council, Dave White is laying the anti-Biden rhetoric on pretty thick, especially when it comes to the President’s American Rescue Plan, legislation designed to help people and businesses survive the worst parts of the pandemic.

“It’s not a rescue plan,” he said at a recent event. “It’s sinking us.”

However, according to a recent article published by Heartland Signal, White only criticized the plan after cashing in on a similar program, the CARES Act, to the tune of roughly $1.4 million in federal loans.

White is the President and CEO of DWD Mechanical Contractor, a company that owns a 50% interest in Stingers Waterfront LLC, a restaurant in Delaware County. These businesses received loans of $758,063 and $270,432 respectively, both of which were forgiven in full.

The loans came from the Paycheck Protection Program that was created under the CARES Act in March of 2020. While originally signed by former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden extended the Paycheck Protection Program as part of the American Rescue Plan he signed in March of 2021.

Last month, White called the American Rescue Plan “terrible” and “ridiculous” at an event in Gettysburg. There were no reports of PPP loan forgiveness being discussed at the event.

Since the passing of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and his Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, there have been multiple instances of GOP governors and legislators bragging to constituents about “bringing home the bacon” even though they voted against one or both bills. 

Hypocrisy is certainly not a new concept in American political discourse, but in this case, it appears that a candidate for governor in Pennsylvania is entitled to a benefit that, if given the chance, he would deny to the working families of Pennsylvania.

The old saying “Do as I say, not as I do” comes to mind.