Report: Democratic vice presidential candidate Josh Shapiro accused of covering up sexual harassment allegations | The Post Millennial

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, widely considered the frontrunner for Kamala Harris’s vice presidential nomination and the Democratic Party’s nominee for vice president, is in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal.

On Tuesday, Erin McClelland, a Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania treasurer, endorsed North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper as her running mate for vice president, but she also mentioned in her post that she did not want Harris to choose a vice president who would “sweep sexual harassment under the rug.”

“I want a Vice President who is secure enough to run second to a woman, who is content being Vice President and will not undermine the President to rig his own election, and who will not sweep sexual harassment under the rug,” McClelland wrote. Although she did not name Shapiro directly, McClelland confirmed to the New York Post that her comments were directed at the Governor of Pennsylvania.

“If I were in her situation, I would think very strongly about the difficulties some women in top positions experience when they are surrounded by men who have to be content with being second or third or answering to a woman,” she told the outlet.

In 2023, Mike Vereb, a parliamentary liaison to Shapiro, was accused of sexual harassment. Shapiro’s office settled with the woman for $295,000, and Vereb resigned months later after Shapiro’s handling of the situation was criticized.

Despite the scandal, Shapiro is considered a strong vice presidential candidate because Pennsylvania is a pivotal swing state. Harris has reportedly begun vetting several governors from swing states to bolster her chances, similar to Donald Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his running mate to appeal to Rust Belt voters.

After President Joe Biden announced that he would not seek re-election, Shapiro immediately endorsed Harris. “I have known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades – we have both been prosecutors, we have both stood up for the rule of law, we have both fought for the people and delivered results,” Shapiro said in a statement.

Although Shapiro remains the favorite for the vice presidential post, concerns have been raised within the Democratic Party about his nomination because he is Jewish and this could lead to conflict with the party’s pro-Palestinian base.