According to a statement circulating on social media, Philadelphia Democratic state Rep. Kevin Boyle is currently unaccounted for as of Wednesday. His family has expressed concern about his whereabouts.
In a statement shared by multiple media outlets on [X], U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, who represents Pennsylvania’s second congressional district, revealed that his brother Kevin is currently living with a “serious mental health condition.” This condition started showing symptoms a few months ago, following a period of two years of recovery.
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According to Brendan Boyle, Kevin’s mental illness has been a constant source of distress for their family. Like any other family with a loved one facing a significant health challenge, they are doing everything in their power to support his recovery.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Kevin Boyle by the police on Tuesday. This follows allegations that he violated a protection from abuse order against his wife. The order was initially issued in 2021 after Kevin had a psychotic episode.
Brendan Boyle mentioned that following that incident, his brother underwent medical treatment and started taking medication to effectively manage his illness. He further highlighted that despite the challenges, his brother was able to secure a resounding victory in the 2022 re-election and was entrusted with the responsibility of leading a legislative committee.
Brendan Boyle stated that they truly believed his mental health issue was a thing of the past.
After several weeks of increasingly intense public outbursts, the state lawmaker’s deteriorating mental state led to Democratic leadership revoking his committee chairmanship. In addition, the party decided to back Sean Dougherty, his primary challenger.
Tensions flared on the House floor on Wednesday when news of Kevin Boyle’s arrest warrant spread. Republican legislators criticized Democrats for permitting the lawmaker to cast votes by designation, even though he was wanted by the authorities.
According to Representative Charity Grimm Krupa, a Republican from McClellandtown, remote voting was not intended to enable lawmakers with arrest warrants to further solidify their party’s slim majority. She has started circulating a co-sponsorship memo to prohibit incarcerated lawmakers or those with active arrest warrants from participating in remote voting.
“I was optimistic that we wouldn’t have to resort to such measures,” she expressed. “However, witnessing the defeat of common sense in a partisan decision on the House floor today, I am convinced that my proposed legislation deserves immediate attention from the General Assembly.”
The House Democratic leadership stated that the practice of “vote by designation” is a long-standing one, but acknowledged that the current circumstances are both unique and unfortunate.
In response to the statement, it was emphasized that Rep. Boyle is in need of assistance rather than engaging in partisan political acts. The assurance was given that the state House will promptly take necessary and compassionate measures to address the matter, without involving unnecessary theatrics, political bias, or causing any delays.
