Gov. Shapiro's Transition Sets New Tone: Gifts, NDAs, 'Dark Money'

HARRISBURG, PA — It's just days into Gov. Josh Shapiro's new term in Harrisburg, but the flurry of early moves, and the behind the scenes work done by his transition team in the weeks leading up to his inauguration, have set a markedly different tone from the past eight years.

Hundreds of members of newly inaugurated Gov. Josh Shapiro's transition team were required to sign non-disclosure agreements, a Spotlight PA report found. The three-page contract means they could be sued for enormous amounts if they publicly share information about their work.

A spokesperson for Shapiro's administration told Spotlight that the NDAs were in place to protect "sensitive personal information" of certain individuals, but did not elaborate on why the contracts were universal, and not just for employees handling delicate details.

Shapiro has also loosened Gov. Tom Wolf's famously strict ban on prohibiting gifts from any individual to top ranking employees. Wolf's ban stems from an executive order signed on Jan. 20, 2015, the same day that Shapiro announced his own executive order, with looser restrictions, eight years later.

Wolf routinely refused gifts of even a water bottle or a can of soda at press conferences and other public appearances in order to avoid even the slightest misperception of wrongdoing or influence from lobbyists. He also donated his entire gubernatorial salary, which was over $200,000 by time he left office, to charity.

It's not clear if Shapiro, whose salary will be an inflation-adjusted $230,000, will accept the money. However, Shapiro's new executive order states that the governor, other top officials, and all state employees can accept an "infrequent meal, bottle of water, cup of coffee, plaque or mug."

Shapiro's administration notes that while looser than Wolf's restrictions, the executive order is still stricter than what the law requires. "No employee, appointee, or official of the Executive Branch of the Commonwealth shall accept or solicit cash or cash equivalent; a gift or other item of more than nominal value," the new order reads.

The new governor suggested that receiving small gifts was important.

“We have to talk again," Shapiro told reporters, including the Associated Press, during a call last week. "We have to have meaningful dialogue again, we have to show up and have to be able to participate in the community again."

The subtle changes don't end there, however. The Spotlight report also found that the funding sources of the extensive inauguration activities that occurred during his first week in office are not clear. That's because the team has been placed under a federal tax code that qualifies it as a "dark money" group that is not required to disclose who is paying for what.

The report adds that both former Govs. Wolf and Tom Corbett both disclosed their inauguration funding sources.