Shapiro has blamed HR policies for why he reportedly was not informed about sexual harassment allegations against his former Sec. of Legislative Affairs, Mike Vereb.
Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro has found himself unable to escape controversy following revelations that his administration delayed action on a sexual harassment claim against a top aide.
Records now suggest Shapiro was not informed of the allegations against Mike Vereb, his former Secretary of Legislative Affairs, for several months. His office blamed the delay on internal HR policies, saying officials were brought in only on a “need to know” basis and claiming this excluded the governor.
“Well, it wasn’t brought to my attention because our policy didn’t require it to be, because our policy required this HR process to be conducted and then a determination to be made,” Shapiro told Philadelphia Magazine last month. “I think as a result of that, I spent time thinking about, okay, well, how could we make our system better, and should I have known about it?”
However, the actual policies, when obtained through Right to Know requests, contain no explicit restriction preventing the governor from being informed. In fact, provisions suggest senior leadership should be notified when allegations involve high-ranking officials or pose a broader risk to the workplace.
Mike Vereb, a longtime Shapiro ally and former state lawmaker, remained in his post for over six months after a junior staffer accused him of repeated inappropriate behavior, including a crude sexual proposition, and alleged retaliation after reporting it.
Shapiro’s office signed off on a $295,000 taxpayer-funded settlement in August 2023, and Vereb resigned quietly in late September. Public scrutiny intensified when national media picked up the story during Shapiro’s brief shortlisting for the 2024 vice presidential race. Under pressure, a spokesperson admitted the governor was not told about the matter until months into the internal process, allegedly when settlement talks were already underway.
Further investigation has uncovered emails showing that Shapiro’s Chief of Staff Dana Fritz and Chief Counsel Jennifer Selber were aware of the allegations as early as March 2023, shortly after the complainant resigned but took no action.
Shapiro has deflected direct questions about why he was not informed sooner or why Vereb remained in office even after leadership became aware of the complaint. His spokesman has stated that, “Having learned from this experience, in the future, the Governor will be immediately informed of any complaint of this sort.”
81 percent of women and 20 percent of men experience sexual harassment in the workplace. Today, I am proud to join my colleagues in the House and Senate Democratic Caucuses to propose harassment and discrimination protections for workers. pic.twitter.com/PIKwYuEp09
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 5, 2018
Adding to the controversy, Broad + Liberty and The Center Square revealed that the administration deleted the accuser’s email account within a year of her departure. The move potentially violated state record retention guidelines, which recommend a two-year minimum.
Democrat lawmakers have largely stayed silent on the scandal, with most female senators declining to comment following a closed-door meeting with Shapiro last October. Sen. Lindsey Williams voiced initial concern, saying she had “unanswered questions,” while Sen. Lisa Boscola later defended the administration’s response.
“Shapiro has had every opportunity to step up and do the right thing and he has failed every time. Leadership and culture start at the top,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, a Republican. “Shapiro’s excuse that he didn’t know until months after two of his top advisors were named in a sexual harassment complaint by an employee in his own office is simply not believable.”
