No big deal
As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro steps into the limelight as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, his record on handling sexual harassment claims against his aides and political allies is coming under tighter scrutiny. This week, the National Women's Defense League issued a statement warning that Shapiro, whose administration paid $295,000 in taxpayer money to settle a female government employee's complaint against a former aide, had enabled sexual harassment and reflected his office's "failures."
In the May 2023 complaint against former Secretary of Legislative Affairs Mike Vereb, who was accused of making crude and sexually charged remarks, the female employee accused Shapiro's office of pushing her out of a job for coming forward. After the settlement and ensuing non-disclosure agreement, Vereb remained in Shapiro's cabinet until September of that year, when he abruptly resigned as news outlets obtained the public records and prepared to report on the complaint that was filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.