Did he do it or not?
That’s the question and Axios thinks it knows the answer.
In a recording obtained by the news organizationDemocratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District Bob Brooks he told a group of students this last Wednesday Governor Josh Shapiro secretly helped Stacy Garrity He is seeking re-election in 2024 over his Democratic opponent, Erin McClellandcriticized Shapiro as a potential vice presidential candidate.
McClelland posted support for North Carolina on social media Governor Roy Coopersaying, “I want to elect a VP who is confident enough to come second to a woman, is happy to be VP, and won’t undermine the president in maneuvering his own elections, and won’t sweep sexual harassment under the rug. I want someone who can speak to rural voters. That’s @RoyCooperNC.”
Most likely she was referring to the sexual harassment scandal in the governor’s office in 2023, when he was secretary of legislative affairs Mike Vereb was accused by a former deputy secretary of subjecting her to unwanted sexual conversations. Shapiro’s office quietly reached a $295,000 settlement with the accuser.
Brooks, speaking to the College Democrats group at Lehigh University, said Shapiro asked his union – the Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association – to endorse Garrity over McClelland in the 2024 state treasurer race.
“Ironically, it was a request from Governor Josh Shapiro because Erin McClelland was running against it,” Brooks told students. “We supported a guy named Ryan Bizarro
Brooks added: “Josh Shapiro asked because Stacy, um, Erin McClelland had some harsh words for Josh Shapiro and in fact the Democratic Party as a whole had turned against Erin McClelland. And he said, ‘I’d like you to support Stacy Garrity.'”
When asked for comment, Brooks said he “spoke out” and “made an inaccurate comment.”
– he said in a statement that “Many people in our party – including organized labor across the commonwealth – were upset with McClelland’s bad faith attacks on our governor. The governor did not ask for any endorsement from my union.”
Manuel BonderShapiro’s campaign spokesman also used the word “inaccurate” to describe Brooks’ comment.
“The Governor has not asked Bob Brooks for any endorsement in this race, and the only races he is focused on are winning the November ballot.”
Neither Shapiro nor Brooks were made available to Axios for interviews for this story. Garrity’s representative did not provide comment.
The governor endorsed Brooks over the former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswellformer Northampton County Executive Lamont McClureand director of energy Carol Obando-Derstine in the four-person Democratic primary for the right to face Representative Ryan Mackenzie in the general elections.
