Judge Pat Dugan and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (Credit: Law.com and @DA_LarryKrasner on X)
The first dustup of what is sure to be a heated Democratic primary for Philadelphia District Attorney occurred over the weekend.
D.A. Larry Krasner appeared at an event in the 52nd Ward, located in West Philadelphia, that was organized by then-ward leader Stephen Jones, a convicted sex offender, and Jones endorsed Krasner - for the third time.
Krasner was at a breakfast with party leaders on Saturday to secure signatures needed to get his name on the ballot for May.
However, a video cropped up on social media that showed Krasner with Jones at the event.
BREAKING: Philly Democrats were present at a 52nd Ward meeting yesterday to consider endorsing DA Larry Krasner and judicial candidates.
What's more awkward than his opponent Pat Dugan not being invited was that the ward leader Stephen Jones, who is a convicted child molester,… pic.twitter.com/LZZdYDLpJo
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) February 23, 2025
Jones, 79, was convicted two weeks ago of aggravated indecent assault of a person under 13, unlawful contact with a minor and related offenses. He is free on bail and is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
Krasner denied knowing about Jones' case when seeking the endorsement of the ward, and the easy confusion caused by a common name such as Jones.
Dugan was having none of it.
"Larry Krasner stood smiling beside a convicted child predator—a man his own Senior Prosecutors had been trying in court since September 2023," Dugan said in a statement issued by his campaign. "Did he not recognize him? The DA in charge of every major case in this city failed to notice a politically connected sex offender standing next to him? Or did he know exactly who he was and choose to stand there anyway? Either answer should terrify you."
Once Krasner found out about the firestorm, he immediately called on Jones to resign - which he did Sunday.
However, Dugan insisted that there was favor curried by Krasner specifically for Jones, having his sentencing held off until after the primary in exchange for an endorsement, something Jones provided for Krasner in both 2017 and 2021.
Krasner made a brief comment to reporters Monday decrying this insinuation by Dugan, and claimed that Dugan's entire statement, which also included statistics about Krasner's tenure in the position, was a big ol' lie and demanded a retraction before 2 P.M. Monday or else "they're going to live with it."
"Top to bottom, the statements that have been made by the opposition's campaign is either a blatant lie, or it's a factual falsehood, or it is a quarter truth," Krasner said. "All the inferences they are suggesting are completely false."
This war of words between Krasner and Dugan is only just beginning. Buckle up.
