Jay Costa (born November 17, 1957) is an American politician, currently serving as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 43rd District since 1996. On November 17, 2010, Senate Democrats elected Costa as their new floor leader, succeeding the retiring Bob Mellow.

Education

Costa attended the

Community College of Allegheny County Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is a public community college in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. With four campuses and four centers, the college offers associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas. History The Pennsylvania legis ...

, earning an A.S.degree in Criminology in 1977. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The univ ...

where he studied Criminal Justice with the ultimate goal of becoming a police officer, and then earned a Juris Doctor from the Duquesne University School of Law.

Career

Jay Costa began his career after graduating with a bachelor's degree as a Deputy Sherriff of Allegheny County. In 2013, Costa’s chief of staff, Tony Lepore, testified under oath that Lepore functioned as a “middle man” in a corruption scheme involving awarding lucrative state contracts. As of February 2021, Lepore is still working for Costa. He is supportive of

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

and received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood in 2013 and 2014. In May 2019, it was reported that Costa and State Attorney General

Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the governor-elect of Pennsylvania. Raised in Montgomery ...

had directed paid communications staffers to edit their Wikipedia pages with positive material. December 18, 2020, it was let known Jay Costa's law firm received $7,309,100 in PPP (Covid Related Paycheck Protection Program) loans ranking it 7th in all of Pittsburgh. Early in his career, Costa sponsored a plan to leverage rebates to lower drug costs for seniors. In February 21, 2021, it was revealed Jay Costa's son, Anthony, works for lobbying firm Cameron Companies which "lobbies on behalf of some of the state’s largest corporations" including 3M. In a March 12, 2021, ruling, RE: "Gittins v. Gateway Clipper," the defendant represented by Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote of which Jay Costa is a Principal was fined $67,614 for failing to turn over discovery information. Costa has served on the board of trustees of the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

and is treasurer of the Community College of Allegheny County board.

References

External links

Senator Costa
official caucus website
Pennsylvania State Senate - Jay Costa
official PA Senate website *''Follow the Money'' - Jay Costa
2006200420022000
campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Jay 1957 births Living people Politicians from Pittsburgh 2012 United States presidential electors Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators 21st-century American politicians