For those who are unaware, I was a judge in October for Miss Connecticut USA 2012 and in December for Miss Pennsylvania USA 2012, the state qualifiers for the Miss USA pageant. Below is my official statement regarding the resignation of Sheena Monnin.

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I can’t speak for Miss USA or Miss Universe, but on a state level – the process was fair, organized, and objective. Pageant Associates, the producer of a handful of state qualifiers for Miss USA including Miss Pennsylvania USA, runs a well-oiled operation that leaves zero room for any type of unfair result, accidental or not.

Ms. Monnin’s resignation surprises me for a plethora of reasons. First of all – she’s been in pageantry for over eight years and this was her third attempt at the Miss PA USA crown. I find it hard to believe that any part of this process can surprise her at this point. Second – Ms. Monnin still could have done a lot of good this upcoming year as Miss Pennsylvania USA with charities and non-for-profit organizations. If anything isn’t fair, it is the way in which she has attempted, intentionally or not, to steal the spotlight from Olivia Culpo and how she has stolen the Keystone State’s crown from a number of other well-deserving candidates.
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For media inquiries, please contact Mark Goldman. Below is the Miss Universe Organization’s official statement:
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MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION STATEMENT
The Miss Universe Organization can confirm the resignation of the Pennsylvania titleholder after she did not place in the Top 16 at the Miss USA pageant. In an email to state pageant organizers (below), she cited the Miss Universe Organizations’ policy regarding transgendered contestants, implemented two months ago, as the reason for her resignation. Today she has changed her story by publicly making false accusations claiming that the pageant was fixed, however the contestant she privately sourced as her reference has vehemently refuted her most recent claim.

We are disappointed that she would attempt to steal the spotlight form Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island on her well-deserved Miss USA win.

From: XXXXX
Date: June 4, 2012 7:25:59 AM PDT
To: XXXX
Subject: Resignation
Randy,

I am officially and irrevocably resigning the title of Miss Pennsylvania USA 2012. I refuse to be part of a pageant system that has so far and so completely removed itself from its foundational principles as to allow and support natural born males to compete in it. This goes against ever moral fiber of my being. I believe in integrity, high moral character, and fair play, none of which are part of this system any longer.

I hereby return the title of Miss Pennsylvania USA 2012.