Women's group opposes Shapiro as Kamala’s VP pick over handling of sexual harassment claim
A women’s group is calling on Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democrat nominee in the 2024 presidential election, not to pick Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate due to concerns about how he handled sexual assault claims that emerged in his office.
Harris is expected to reveal her vice presidential pick no later than Tuesday. Shapiro is widely seen as one of the frontrunners to secure a place on the Democrats’ presidential ticket.
The National Women’s Defense League, which describes itself as “a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing sexual harassment and protecting survivors,” released a statement on Facebook last week expressing concern about the possibility that Harris might pick Shapiro.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"The American people deserve to know that if called to a higher office, Governor Josh Shapiro will do more to ensure the safety and dignity of employees, volunteers and constituents in his office," the NWDL stated. "As the Harris campaign and the Democratic Party consider their options for vice presidential candidates, we urge them to consider the handling of past complaints of sexual harassment inside the Pennsylvania governor's office."
The NWDL specifically brought up “sexual harassment happening in [Shapiro’s] own office by Cabinet Secretary Mike Vereb,” asserting that the office “should have done a better job preventing” it from happening in the first place.
Examples of actions it wished Shapiro’s office would have taken include “protecting the survivor who bravely came forward, ensuring that any other potential survivors felt safe in speaking up, and ensuring that the harasser didn’t have the opportunity to do further harm after the complaint.”
“Our research indicates that there is rarely only one survivor in cases like this one,” the group added. “When it comes to sexual harassment, silence is not golden — it’s a red flag. Often, it indicates that others may not feel safe or supported in coming forward with their truth. NWDL acknowledges potential silent survivors and we stand with those who choose not to share their experiences publicly.”
According to the group, “[s]exual harassment is especially rampant in our government and political workspaces, and we need leaders who will buck the pernicious status quo."
"We deserve leaders who will not brush sexual harassment under the rug, but will put accountability above politics. We need leaders who prioritize effective policies, protocols and culture that prevents sexual harassment and protects survivors,” they added.
The subject of the sexual harassment complaint, Mike Vereb, served as secretary of legislative affairs from the start of the Shapiro administration in early 2023 until late September of that year.
A statement from the governor’s office from last September announced that Vereb was resigning and praised the Republican former state representative for “six years securing funding for law enforcement and enhancing school safety in the Office of Attorney General and the critical first year of our Administration getting a historic, bipartisan budget across the finish line.”
Shapiro’s Chief of Staff Dana Fritz described Vereb as “a key member of our team,” adding that they "wish Mike all the best and we’re grateful for his service.” The statement did not mention any sexual harassment allegations against Vereb.
A report from Spotlight PA details how an unnamed former staffer filed a complaint in May 2023 alleging that Vereb had made inappropriate, lewd and sexually suggestive comments to her and that the state retaliated against her when she raised questions about his image. Subsequent reporting reveals that the governor’s office released a settlement of $295,000 with the survivor that also requires staff to undergo sexual harassment training.
The governor’s office has a policy in place requiring that the Equal Opportunity Officer of a particular agency where alleged acts of sexual harassment may have occurred to conduct an investigation after receiving a complaint that includes interviews with the complainant, alleged offender and any witnesses. Implemented in 2012, the policy predates Shapiro’s tenure as governor.
Shapiro is seen as an attractive contender for the vice presidential nomination because he is governor of a critical swing state that has 19 electoral votes. The RealClearPolitics average of polls taken of Pennsylvania voters shows Harris trailing former President Donald Trump, her Republican opponent, by 1.8 percentage points.
However, criticism of Shapiro extends beyond concerns about his office’s handling of the sexual assault claim. Michael Moore, a progressive filmmaker and activist, has warned that Harris’ selection of Shapiro, an observant Jew and a strong supporter of Israel, could cost her support in the swing state of Michigan. In a Substack post published last week, Moore complained that “Shapiro said it’s ‘antisemitic’ for anyone to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.”
Moore identified Shapiro’s position on Israel as well as his comments about college students protesting as behaviors that will “diminish the Arab American vote for Harris and depress a large swath of the youth vote throughout the country,” noting that “Michigan has one of the largest Arab American populations in the nation.”
Michigan has 15 electoral college votes and the RealClearPolitics average of polls taken there shows Harris leading Trump by 2 percentage points.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
