A performance audit released this week confirmed what Pennsylvania business owners already suspected; the process used to determine businesses closures during COVID-19 mitigation efforts was flawed and administered unevenly. Pennsylvania’s Auditor General Timothy DeFoor’s audit provides a window into the thought process of Governor Tom Wolf’s administration as it shuttered thousands of businesses. “This audit revealed a flawed process that provided inconsistent answers to business owners and caused confusion,” DeFoor said in a statement. “While the pandemic certainly presented some unique challenges, the process was hastily assembled on the fly, unevenly administered and should be reformed before anything like it is ever used again.” On March 19, 2020, Wolf released a list of businesses considered “life-sustaining,” and ordered all other businesses closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Gas stations, grocery stores, beer distributors, and abortion clinics were considered life-sustaining and could stay open. Real estate brokers, auto sales, …