Pennsylvania’s five living governors called on state leaders to take Gov. Josh Shapiro’s safety seriously after the recent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s office stated on Monday that it will not release funds to cover $1 million in security upgrades at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence, despite all of Pennsylvania’s living governors signing a letter urging state leaders and the legislature “to make the safety and security of the Governor and his family a priority.”
The statement–signed by former governors Tom Wolf, Tom Corbett, Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker, and Tom Ridge–was released on Monday following the latest assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
“This weekend, the President faced yet another assassination attempt. Last year, Governor Shapiro and his family faced an unspeakable attack while they were sleeping in the Governor’s Residence. Combatting political violence and keeping our elected officials safe should always be nonpartisan and a priority,” the letter stated.
An armed man burst through a security checkpoint at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner before being apprehended by security.
Trump and Republicans have used this as an opportunity to justify the construction of the billionaire funded White House Ballroom, but Garrity remains adamant that she doesn’t have the authority to release the funds to pay for security upgrades at Shapiro’s Montgomery County residence.
“I agree with our former governors on one fundamental point: violence and threats against public officials have no place in our country,” Garrity said in a statement.
She added, “At the same time, my responsibility as State Treasurer is clear and limited by law. The Treasury does not currently have the legal authority to pay for security improvements to a personal residence, in fact, doing so would conflict with responsibilities defined in the state constitution.”
Garrity, who is the Republican-backed candidate running against Shapiro in November’s election, doesn’t believe that statement from the former governors is directed towards her.
“I don’t think that the former Governors’ statement was about me or the legal requirement prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being spent on upgrades to the Governor’s personal home. I do however believe that they are suggesting that politics should never play a role in decisions of security for the Governor or any elected official and on that we all agree,” Garrity said.
For Trump, this was the third major shooting attack. Shapiro, however, faced an assassination attempt in the form of arson on the governor’s residence in April of last year.
“For us, the attack on Pennsylvania’s First Family was particularly upsetting. In the aftermath of that attack we ask the state’s current leaders and legislators to make the safety and security of the Governor and his family a priority,” the Pennsylvania governors’ letter said.
Shapiro’s campaign spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, accused Garrity of playing politics with the governor’s safety.
“This is an unprecedented, shameful political attack from Stacy Garrity – she is brazenly using the Treasury to go after the Governor, his family, and the State Police after an assassination attempt. It is unbelievable, even for Garrity, who seemingly can always find a new low.”
