Pa. Justice Wecht Leaves Democrats Over Antisemitism

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht announced Monday that he has left the Democratic Party to register as an independent, citing a rise in antisemitism within the party as his primary reason.

In a public statement issued in his personal capacity, Wecht, who was elected to the court in 2015 and retained last November for a new 10-year term ending in 2035, emphasized his long-standing judicial independence. "My jurisprudence and adjudication have always been independent, and they always will be. Now, my voting registration reflects that independence as well," he wrote.

Wecht, a former vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party from 1998 to 2001, described significant changes in the party over the past quarter century. He pointed to incidents such as Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other anti-Jewish actions that he said are "minimized, ignored, and even coddled." He added, "Acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party. I can no longer abide this. So, I won't. I am no longer registered within any political party."