State Republican lawmakers are demanding answers over a nearly $1 million security upgrade at Governor Josh Shapiro’s private home in Abington, Pennsylvania.
The Questioning of Security Spending
The lawmakers say they had no knowledge of the project and want to know who approved the spending. They argue that procedures must be established to oversee future security improvements. Ten days ago subpoenas were issued for documents from the Pennsylvania State Police and Abington Township, but the requested information has not yet been supplied.
Background: The April Attack
The controversy began after an attempted assassination on April 13. Governor Shapiro and his family were sleeping in the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg when police released video that shows Cody Balmer jumping a fence, breaking in, and starting a fire. Balmer was later sentenced to at least 25 years in prison. Following the attack, security audits were carried out at both the mansion and the governor’s personal home.
NBC10’s Investigation
NBC10 has been probing the matter and already possesses documents that outline a timeline and list purchases. The network has also visited the governor’s home on several occasions, including on September 22 when electrical work was underway. On October 30, the governor’s office sent NBC10 150 pages of documents that detail costs and work timelines. Senator Jarrett Coleman noted that “you have more information than sitting Senators do at this time.”
Key Dates and Documents
- May 8: A state police emergency declaration stated “extensive restructure is needed” at the governor’s home.
- May 29: A call was scheduled between state police and the governor.
- June 19: A zoning application was filed with Abington Township to add a fence to the property.
- End of July: A project proposal for design and construction of the security upgrades was sent.
- August 11: The project manager emailed that purchase orders had been submitted and were awaiting approval from the comptroller.
- September 3: The first cost discussion appeared in the emails, estimating just over $925,000. Items included a fence ($279,000), tree trimming ($93,000), and landscaping ($320,000).
- September 25: Governor Shapiro asked the ethics commission to review the expenses, more than a month after purchase orders were submitted.
Questions Raised by Republican Senators
Senator Tracy Pennycuick, a Republican from Montgomery County, said, “The number one priority should be to make sure our governor is safe and more importantly his family is safe.” She questioned the $1 million spend, asking, “I believe he needs to be protected at his personal residence too. But, a million dollars? Are those dollars spent on hardened improvements to the property?” Pennycuick also stated, “I think every penny securing the Governor’s personal residence should be open to the public.”
Senator Jarrett Coleman, chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, asked, “So, you’ve asked them for what they spent, when they spent it and how they spent it?” Coleman noted that the subpoenas issued on December 9 had not yielded the level of specificity the network was seeking. He said, “Our efforts to find out, for example, how much money has been spent, or how the money has been appropriated, how it was bid,” and that answers were “stonewalled.”
Funding Source and Ethics Review
After the subpoenas were released, the state police informed NBC10 that funding for the upgrades would come from the PSP general operations funds. In October, the governor’s office issued a statement: “Following the assassination attempt on the Governor’s life and attack on the Governor’s Residence earlier this year, the Pennsylvania State Police and independent security experts conducted thorough reviews to pinpoint security failures, review protocols, identify gaps and make concrete recommendations for improvement to the Governor’s security.”
The ethics commission determined that there were no ethical issues with the improvements, and Governor Shapiro would not have to reimburse the state. Senator Coleman expressed concern that the commission’s opinion appeared “after the fact.” The commission confirmed that it typically does not issue opinions after events, but when asked why it had in this case, it replied that it could not comment on the confidential opinion. Coleman described this as “deeply concerning and raises serious ethical questions that need to be answered.”
Legislative Response
Senate Democrats opposed the subpoenas, arguing that the Senate was overreaching and that the documents could harm the governor and his neighbors. Senator Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties said, “He clearly is in harm’s way, clearly in harm’s way. How we go about investigating these things relates in also getting to the truth to the facts but also in addition how it’s handled can also wither diminish his harm or make him further exposed and that is something we need to all take much more seriously.”
Republican Senator Pennycuick added, “Certainly there’s no excuse for any type of political violence. That’s never the question. What the question is, is this going to be a new standard? Are we going to give, in this case, more than a million dollars to improve the private property of the Governor? And, what policies and procedures do we have in place as we go through this?”
The Pennsylvania State Police released a statement that the fence, initially planned for the governor’s property, was not installed and its cost removed from the project. The fence is now being used for another PSP project at the academy.
Key Takeaways
- The nearly $1 million security upgrade at Governor Shapiro’s Abington home has sparked a congressional investigation into spending, approvals, and oversight.
- Key documents trace the project from a May emergency declaration to September cost estimates, but many details remain unshared with lawmakers.
- The ethics commission’s post-event review and the lack of transparency about funding sources have intensified calls for clearer procedures for future governor security projects.
The debate highlights the tension between ensuring the safety of public officials and maintaining accountability for taxpayer money. As the subpoenas are still pending, the final details of the project’s funding, procurement, and approval process remain under scrutiny.
