Recent analysis revealed a portion of benefactors towards the governor’s expensive inauguration celebrations.
Recent analysis found several donors to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s inauguration celebrations included lobbying firms, unions, and other corporations.
The governor’s 2023 inauguration and ball cost more than $4 million, but the benefactors remained a secret.
“VIP tickets to the Inaugural Celebration include access to the VIP lounge through the evening. A clutch with Governor-Elect Shapiro and Lt. Governor-Elect [Austin] Davis will be held in the VIP lounge at the start of the event,” said a fundraising pitch prepared by the governor’s inauguration committee.
Pennsylvania does not require top elected officials to disclose who contributes to celebrations held for their entrance into office.
In an email, Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder said private fundraising for an inauguration is “completely customary,” and that the celebration brought people together to celebrate the beginning of “an Administration focused on fighting and delivering for all Pennsylvanians.”
Federal tax filings showed that the Shapiro inaugural committee donated money not spent on the celebrations to Team PA. Team PA is a nonprofit that bills itself as a public-private partnership for Pennsylvania’s economic development.
Team PA frequently pays for Shapiro to attend high-profile sporting events and collected donations to repair the governor’s residence after an arson attack.
Analysis also revealed that Shapiro’s predecessor, former Governor Tom Wolf, donated inaugural dollars.
“There is longstanding precedent for governors to work with Team Pennsylvania to fund those areas that should not come at a cost to the taxpayer,” said a spokesperson for Wolf.
Analysis shows that publicly available documents reveal the source of about 15% of the money Shapiro’s inaugural committee received to host the celebrations.
Labor was the largest donor class, totaling $535,000 in donations. A wide range of unions contributed, including those for police officers, construction trades, and health care workers. The single largest check, totaled at $150,000, was given by the carpenters’ union.
Lobbying firms Eckert Seamans and Duane Morris, as well as Versant Strategies, donated to the inaugural committee.
Erie Insurance, Motorola, Sheetz, the state’s orthopedic surgeons association, and a horse breeder’s trade group were also found to be donors.
Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania donated as well.
The source of funding for the other 85% of the governor’s inaugural celebration funds remains undisclosed.
