Gov. Tom Wolf says Trump ‘stiffed’ businesses

(Philadelphia) — Governor Tom Wolf brought his business story to the national stage and took some shots at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a speech at the Democratic National Convention Thursday evening.

“When we contracted with a vendor, we paid that vendor,” Wolf told the crowd. “Donald Trump? He stiffed hundreds of small businesses, from plumbers to painters, ruining their companies as he sought to enrich himself.”

Trump told USA Today earlier this year that he sometimes wouldn’t fully pay companies if they didn’t do a good job.

Wolf, a Democrat from York County, was elected governor in November 2014, defeating the incumbent Republican, Tom Corbett.

Wolf’s kitchen cabinet and building products company was a key part of his campaign for governor. He featured employees in TV ads, and they gave him credit for saving the business. Wolf’s shares in the company were sold in 2015, after he took office as governor.

Wolf took the stage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia shortly before 8:30 p.m.

He talked about giving new moms paid leave and sharing the profits from the business with employees.

Wolf said Trump “runs his businesses so that they only help – who? You guessed it. Donald Trump.”

Wolf argued that sharing profits with employees was the right thing for workers and that it was great for the company’s bottom line.

Wolf said that if Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is elected president, she plans to use tax credits to reward companies that share profits with employees.

He also praised her for planning to raise the minimum wage, ensure equal pay for women and guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid family leave.

“We need a president who recognizes that an economy that doesn’t work for everyone doesn’t work at all,” Wolf said.

This article is part of a content-sharing partnership between WITF and the York Daily Record.