23 February 2023- Since the Pennsylvania House has yet to pass a single measure because of their extended recess coupled with their adherence to the strict Special Session status, no bills have actually been sent to newly sworn in Governor Josh Shapiro yet. Shapiro, however, has acted and signed a number of executive orders, including ones related to state job qualifications and ethics amongst his staff.
The latest news from Shapiro’s office is that all cabinet members, Governor’s office staff, and senior managers under him have signed his “Integrity Pledge”. This pledge is only able to be signed after they complete the mandatory ethics training led by “ethics expert” Eric Fillman.
Fillman and Shapiro’s ethics train is apparently modeled off the Office of Attorney General’s “best practices” established by Shapiro while he was the AG for the Commonwealth.
“The integrity pledge every senior administration official and Governor’s office staff member has signed is a promise to the people of Pennsylvania that we will serve their best interests each and every day,” said Governor Shapiro. “As Attorney General, I held my agency and my staff to the highest standards of integrity and accountability, and I’m proud to say that we are bringing those same standards to the Governor’s Office. Together, we will promote trust in government and accountability for public officials while fostering dialogue and allowing our administration to bring people together to deliver results for all Pennsylvanians.”
“We are proud to say that the Office of Administration has worked to ensure 100% compliance with the integrity pledge,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “We will continue working to ensure current and future Commonwealth employees operate under the highest standards of trust and integrity as they work for the people of Pennsylvania.”
The “Integrity Pledge” from Governor Josh Shapiro can be found HERE.
