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PA Secretary Of State Resigns For Unknown Reasons

HARRISBURG, PA (CBS) -- A high-profile member of the Wolf administration abruptly left his post this past week – leaving Capitol observers wondering why.

Pedro Cortes served as then-Governor Ed Rendell's Secretary of State, the agency that runs elections and oversees professional licensing, and returned to serve in the same capacity for Governor Tom Wolf.

His departure comes less than a month after a Philadelphia city commissioner said a glitch in the state's "motor voter" system allowed non-citizens to register to vote, albeit perhaps accidentally.

When asked if the departure of Cortes was connected to that revelation, Governor Wolf's spokesman could provide no information other than what was contained in a press release issued by the administration.

In that release, titled "Wolf Administration Provides Personnel Update," only one sentence is devoted to Cortes, saying simply that he submitted his resignation, and offering no reason why.

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