Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) is said to be on Vice President Kamala Harris' short list for her VP pick, so it's no surprise the GOP is looking to check his background. It seems that Shapiro is accused of providing legal council to a man his office was supposed to be investigating.
A recent report from Broad + Liberty, based on a document they obtained, shows that Shapiro's office "may have been providing legal advice to then-Secretary of Legislative Affairs Mike Vereb while simultaneously investigating Vereb for workplace harassment claims made by one of his subordinates in March 2023."
It is clear that this represents a significant conflict of interest if accurate, suggesting that Shapiro's office may have been disingenuous in their investigation. One cannot effectively conduct an investigation into abuse allegations while simultaneously advising the individual being investigated without compromising the quality of one of these roles.
Vereb resigned from his position in September 2023, reportedly in connection to workplace harassment allegations raised months earlier by a female deputy in his office. This deputy, who resigned after only a month, saw the harassment and sexual assault claims settled out of court for $295,000.
When Broad + Liberty requested the documents revealing the alleged conflict of interest, Shapiro's office "largely denied the request," prompting them to appeal to the Office of Open Records. In response, the governor's office "produced an exemption log for many of the documents it wished to withhold."
Further attempts to obtain these documents have been unsuccessful, fueling speculation that the investigation documents may not exist. Trans.: Shapiro's integrity may also not exist.
In response to the requests, the governor's open records officer told Broad + Liberty that "If such investigation occurred, those records exist and are exempt – if no such investigation occurred, no such records exist."
"It would not be any surprise to me to find out there was zero investigation done," Rep. Abby Major (R) from western PA said. "I have said from the beginning that if the [accusing] documents hadn’t been leaked that [the governor’s office] would have paid the settlement, had [the accuser] sign the non-disclosure agreement, and Mike Vereb would still be working in that office."
Shapiro's spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, stated, "[A]s we have consistently emphasized, the Commonwealth upholds an independent, thorough, and professional process that enables individuals to come forward safely, as demonstrated in this case. Through this process, each investigation is conducted independently of the Governor’s Office. Any assumptions to the contrary are baseless and incorrect."
When questioned on the matter, Shapiro pointed out that Vereb was no longer part of his administration. However, it's notable that Vereb remained in Harrisburg for six months after the allegations came to light.
So it's politics as usual.
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