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The accuser left her place in March. She was interviewed by EEO investigators later that month and made a criticism with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Fee in June, based on the paperwork and folks acquainted with the method. Vereb didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark.
The girl’s claims elevate questions on precisely how a lot Shapiro knew about Vereb’s alleged conduct and why months elapsed between the criticism being made and his departure. Additionally they threaten to chop on the coronary heart of the governor’s political identification.
Whereas beforehand serving as legal professional basic, Shapiro was on the forefront of combating sexual misconduct within the Catholic Church. He launched a high-profile grand jury report into intercourse abuse by Catholic clergy. He has additionally positioned himself as a staunch defender of girls’s rights and authorized abortion within the state.
In an interview with POLITICO, Shapiro mentioned he couldn’t reply on to a number of questions, together with when he first discovered of the criticism and whether or not he requested Vereb to go away. However he pointed to his historical past of preventing sexual harassment and abuse.
“I’ve an extended and intensive monitor report of standing up for victims of sexual abuse, harassment. I led, I feel, probably the most complete investigation on behalf of victims of clergy intercourse abuse, prosecuted lots of of sexual predators,” he mentioned. “I’ve executed intensive work with victims, listening to their tales, investigating their tales, and standing up for them. So I’ll take a again seat to nobody in relation to standing up for victims.”
Whereas two former Shapiro aides have disputed parts of the lady’s claims, Shapiro declined to deal with the specifics, saying that “a really thorough investigative course of” takes place when a state worker alleges they had been a sufferer of harassment on the job.
“It is very important me that this be an atmosphere the place everybody feels protected, everybody feels heard, and everybody feels seen,” Shapiro mentioned. “Clearly these investigations — and once more, I’m talking typically, and I feel it’s actually vital that you simply perceive that — these items don’t occur in a single day. They are often prolonged processes. But it surely’s vital, and I do know this from my time as legal professional basic advocating for victims, it’s actually vital to ensure that everybody be heard and that the method be thorough and full.”
Vereb’s accuser declined a request for an interview. The girl’s lawyer, Chuck Pascal, wouldn’t touch upon the interview assertion and PHRC criticism’s authenticity or whether or not his shopper had entered right into a settlement or non-disclosure settlement. POLITICO was capable of affirm the paperwork’ authenticity.
Whereas the Vereb story has not but resonated a lot past the state, it comes at a fragile time for Shapiro. The governor is seen as a rising star within the social gathering and has lengthy been rumored to be eyeing a presidential run in 2028 or past. This previous weekend, he traveled to the early presidential main state of New Hampshire to ship a speech that launched him to voters there and additional stirred hypothesis about his political ambition.
Some lawmakers in Harrisburg have voiced issues in regards to the allegations about Vereb and the Shapiro administration’s dealing with of the matter. Senate President Professional Tempore Kim Ward, a Republican, mentioned it’s “infuriating” that Vereb stayed in his job for months after he was accused of sexual harassment. A handful of different GOP feminine state lawmakers have criticized the Shapiro administration over the way it has handled the claims. Democratic state Sen. Lindsey Williams has additionally publicly expressed issues in regards to the girl’s allegations and the reported retaliation she confronted.
In an indication of the sensitivity surrounding the matter, Shapiro met behind closed doorways Wednesday with feminine Democratic state senators in regards to the problem, in addition to state Senate Minority Chief Jay Costa, two folks acquainted with the dialogue mentioned. Shapiro’s chief-of-staff, basic counsel and lieutenant governor had been additionally current.
In her interview assertion and the PHRC criticism, which was additionally obtained by POLITICO, Vereb’s accuser mentioned that he made a number of undesirable sexual feedback to her.
The accuser, whose identify POLITICO is withholding, mentioned within the assertion that she started working for the Shapiro administration in January and took the job as a result of the governor “is a one-of-a-kind chief.” In February, she mentioned, she was in a gathering with Vereb and different aides when a feminine senator got here up in dialog. She mentioned Vereb mentioned he “had a manner of dealing with” the senator, and defined that at one level in her workplace “he may have sworn she wished to have intercourse with him.”
A former Shapiro aide, who was granted anonymity as a result of they mentioned they feared retribution, disputed the remarks that Vereb allegedly made in regards to the feminine senator. The ex-aide mentioned they had been current when Vereb spoke in regards to the senator, and that the feedback weren’t sexual in nature. The particular person additionally mentioned that Vereb had criticized a number of staffers for having “cutesy” conferences, however he didn’t imply it sexually.
Across the identical time because the alleged episode involving the feminine senator, Vereb’s accuser mentioned that he chastised her for a gathering with a legislative official, saying that she was having a “cute little lunch, trying all cute within the capital cafeteria and that it was a waste of my time.” She additionally mentioned in her criticism that different aides within the administration had joked to her about Vereb and her having a sexual relationship.
The accuser mentioned the feedback shortly obtained worse. In late February, she mentioned she instructed Vereb about rumors involving his conduct. She claimed Vereb demanded to know who was behind the gossip and mentioned in response, “In the event you instructed me proper now that you simply wished me, should you determined you wished to enter into that kind of association, that will be our alternative. I imply, you’re a lovely girl.”
She mentioned Vereb additionally instructed her, “In the event you determined you wished to try this, and go shut the door to this workplace, inform me to bend you over this convention desk, hike your skirt up, and fuck you from behind, that will be our resolution to make.”
Vereb’s accuser mentioned that he suggested her to “put on decrease minimize tops and shorten the slits in your skirts.” She mentioned she instructed Vereb she was not considering any sexual relationship with him, to which he responded, “nicely fuck you then!”
She mentioned Vereb later referred to as her that night, and mentioned he was “actually involved about our dialog earlier” and continued to make sexual feedback about her.
The subsequent day, she mentioned she acquired an invitation “from HR” for an hour-long dialogue. When she requested Vereb about it, she mentioned, he talked about “efficiency issues” — the primary time he talked about such points.
In the course of the Human Sources assembly in March, the accuser mentioned she instructed officers in regards to the rumors involving Vereb in addition to different issues.
Afterward, she mentioned, she was instructed by Vereb and different aides that they’d efficiency issues about her. At that time, she mentioned she instructed them she was strolling out and detailed the sexual harassment by Vereb.
The previous Shapiro aide who disputed parts of the accuser’s claims additionally defended the Shapiro administration’s dealing with of the matter, saying that they had been interviewed for two-and-a-half hours in March by the EEO. “The governor’s workplace most definitely did do an investigation. They did precisely what they had been alleged to do,” the ex-aide mentioned.
A second former Shapiro aide, who was granted anonymity to speak freely a few delicate matter, disputed claims that the accuser made, saying that they weren’t current throughout an occasion that the accuser mentioned they had been at. The particular person additionally mentioned they had been interviewed by the EEO in March.
At a press convention Thursday about state investments in native trails and parks, Shapiro was requested by reporters about his dealing with of the Vereb allegations. He mentioned that he’s targeted on making a “wholesome, protected, skilled work atmosphere for all of our staff,” and that “victims and witnesses, complainants, all of them deserve confidentiality” even “if some within the course of don’t observe these guidelines of confidentiality.” Requested about Ward, the Republican Senate president professional tempore who has criticized his administration’s method to the sexual harassment claims, Shapiro mentioned to “contemplate the supply.”
Vereb has been a longtime ally to Shapiro. They had been state lawmakers collectively, each hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs in Montgomery County, for a number of years. As legal professional basic, Shapiro tapped Vereb in 2017 to be his director of presidency affairs.
When Vereb left his secretary job, however earlier than the information broke in regards to the sexual harassment allegations, Shapiro’s administration praised him in official remarks. “Mike has been a key member of our group and because of his devoted service, the Governor’s Workplace is ready for the work forward,” Shapiro’s chief of employees, Dana Fritz, mentioned in a press release. “We want Mike all the perfect and we’re grateful for his service.”
Josh Shapiro’s star is rising. However bother could also be brewing again at house.
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