Republican women in the Pennsylvania Senate are calling for transparency from the governor’s office after Gov. Josh Shapiro’s close senior adviser Mike Vereb quit abruptly last week, months after he was accused of sexual harassment by a female co-worker who said his behavior forced her to quit her job.
“One of our greatest responsibilities as elected officials is to ensure the people of Pennsylvania are safe and secure, that includes the talented people who work for us. The onus is on us as leaders to create a safe workplace culture,” Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, a Republican, said in a statement. “The details of the sexual harassment complaint filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission against Gov. Shapiro’s office are appalling.”
Ms. Ward is concerned about workplace practices and also wonders whether the matter has influenced budget discussions, and how much in taxpayer money is being used in response to the sexual harassment allegations.
“The alleged offender remained in his influential role until he tendered his resignation leaving the victim in an unsafe space, to fend for herself, with limited options. This is unacceptable,” Ms. Ward said.
Lack of Transparency
A former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and former officer of the West Conshohocken Police Department, Mr. Vereb has worked closely with Mr. Shapiro for years, including at the attorney general’s office when Mr. Shapiro was the chief law enforcement officer in the state.“The lack of information or even acknowledgement by Gov. Shapiro regarding the alleged sexual harassment by one of his former top officials is humiliating to women in the workplace. It sends a message to working women that they are not truly valued,” state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, a Republican, said in a statement. “It also raises more questions than answers for Gov. Shapiro’s administration, such as how long did Gov. Shapiro know, and have taxpayers been affected? Secrecy continues to be a trend with this administration, which required staff to sign a lengthy, three-page nondisclosure agreement during the executive branch’s transition period earlier this year. This is why we need more transparency.”
She referenced the opening of a portion of Interstate 95 near Philadelphia less than two weeks after a fire destroyed a vital bridge, closing the road and creating maddening detours. Ordinarily such a project would take months or even years, with required environmental reviews, engineering, and traffic studies. But the road was repaired at warp speed under emergency orders and Mr. Shapiro has used every opportunity to remind citizens of this quick fix.
The Allegations
In the woman’s complaint to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Mr. Vereb was accused of subjecting her to lewd, misogynistic, and unwanted sexual advances during her time working for the administration, according to The Associated Press.In a March 31 statement to the state Office of Administration describing her allegations, the woman wrote that she was afraid of Mr. Vereb.
“I am scared of what he will do, the rumors he will spread, I am scared for my professional career,” she said. “I am putting this all on the line because I am fearful that he will do this to someone else.”
The Epoch Times asked Mr. Shapiro’s office on Friday why the governor kept Mr. Vereb employed in the executive office for months after learning of the alleged harassment.
Manuel Bonder, spokesman for Mr. Shapiro, said the office does not comment on specific personnel matters but it takes allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously. He provided an emailed statement.
Response From Governor
The Epoch Times asked for more specific comment from the governor’s office, including how Mr. Shapiro responded to the allegations against his close adviser in the months before Mr. Vereb’s departure, but the office did not respond.“The sexual harassment allegations being levied against Gov. Shapiro’s former Secretary of Legislative Affairs Mike Vereb are deeply troubling. The people of Pennsylvania trust us to work on their behalf of as public officials with integrity, respect, and with the best interest of the people we serve at top of mind. When this trust is betrayed, the people deserve answers,” state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, a Republican, said in a statement. “Sexual harassment in the workplace can never be tolerated or accepted, especially in the highest office of our commonwealth. These allegations raise serious questions about the kind of workplace culture that could have turned a blind eye and enabled this kind of behavior. All victims, no matter who they are, deserve to be heard.”
Ms. Pennycuick acknowledged that while the behavior of people cannot be controlled, leaders must take quick and appropriate action when bad behavior occurs.
“In this instance, it seems that the alleged offender was permitted to stay in his role while leaving the victim vulnerable. At the same time, he continued to serve Gov. Shapiro as the lead negotiator on the budget. With this in mind, one cannot help but to be concerned that the victim’s claim may not have been taken seriously or addressed in a timely manner,” Ms. Pennycuick said. “I join in the growing calls for the administration to come clean on the allegations against Mr. Vereb. Gov. Shapiro needs to be transparent in what occurred, stop presenting conflicting timelines, protect the dignity of these victims, and provide concrete steps that will be taken to ensure that this kind of behavior will never be tolerated again. Only then can the administration begin to repair the public trust lost in this incident.”
The Epoch Times asked for comments on this matter from the offices of Democrat state Sens. Judy Schwank and Katie Muth, two lawmakers known to tout their records of supporting women’s issues. Neither of them responded.
