“The alleged offender remained in his influential role until he tendered his resignation, leaving the victim in an unsafe space, to fend for herself, with limited options. This is unacceptable.” Those are the words of state Senate President Pro Tem Kim Ward regarding the resignation of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s former budget secretary, Mike Vereb.
While there was undoubtedly a length of time between allegations of sexual harassment and Vereb’s departure from the Shapiro administration, Vereb is no longer working for the governor in light of the investigation into those allegations. Meanwhile, Ward, in her capacity as Senate leader, is refusing to move forward a bipartisan bill that would give survivors of sexual abuse a chance to file lawsuits over otherwise outdated claims of abuse. Does this not leave victims of sexual abuse to “fend for themselves, with limited options?”
Moreover, as Ward and her female colleagues within the GOP caucus talk about “misogyny” in Shapiro’s administration, one cannot help but wonder how they undoubtedly supported former President Trump, who by his own admission likes to “grab women by the *****.”
Ward’s latest salvo is to launch official hearings into the governor’s handling of the Vereb situation. This is nothing but political theater and hypocrisy at its finest. Ward and her majority in the Senate should focus on lawmaking, and understand that the Pennsylvania voters see right through their nonsense.
Anthony Bartolotta
Manor