A new report reveals two Democratic state senators in Pennsylvania reported receiving Super Bowl tickets as gifts from a Lackawanna County insurance executive who regularly donates to Republicans but appears to have recently donated to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
Citing public disclosures by Pennsylvania State Senators Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna) and Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia), Spotlight PA reported the senators attended the Super Bowl in 2023 with tickets furnished by Charles Volpe, the president of Excalibur Insurance Management Service.
Flynn (pictured above, right) reportedly told Spotlight PA he has known Volpe for decades, as Volpe is the uncle to one of his “best friends.”
The outlet reported, “Volpe is also a Philadelphia Eagles season ticket holder through his company, which allowed him to purchase two tickets to the 2023 championship game. Flynn said that Volpe wasn’t able to attend and gave him the tickets. Flynn gave the second ticket to Dillon.”
According to Spotlight PA, Volpe stated that he did not know Dillon (pictured above, left), reportedly describing the state senator as “Marty’s friend” to the outlet. Volpe reportedly only “offered the tickets to Flynn after remembering that the lawmaker was going to be in Arizona at the same time.”
The outlet reported Volpe “dismissed the the idea that the gift was an attempt at influence,” noting he is a “major donor to the SRCC and HRCC,” which Spotlight PA noted are “the legislative Republican campaign committees.”
While Spotlight PA described Volpe as “a Lackawanna County businessman and frequent GOP political donor,” Federal Elections Commission (FEC) data appears to show he recently donated to Kennedy and previously donated to the political campaign of U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).
The FEC database indicates Charles Volpe, who identified himself as President of Excalibur Insurance, donated a total of $6,600 to the Kennedy political campaign on March 22.
Days earlier, on March 19, the FEC records a $15,000 donation to the pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values 2024, sent by J. Charles Volpe, who similarly identified himself as the President of Excalibur Insurance Management Service.
While the FEC database does not suggest Volpe has made recent donations to Democrats, on March 23, 2021, the FEC recorded two political donations of $1,600 and $900 by Excalibur President J. Charles Volpe Jr. for Bob Casey For Senate Inc.
The Pennsylvania Daily Star attempted to contact Volpe to confirm the donations but did not receive a response prior to press time.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “State Sen Jimmy Dillon by Jimmy Dillon and “State Sen Marty Flynn” by Marty Flynn.
Super bowl tickets are for the rich and famous. Politicians should get none.