Lawmakers question the cost of work done at Governor Shapiro's personal home

State Republican lawmakers have questions concerning tax funded security improvements at Governor Josh Shapiro’s personal home in Abington.

The lawmakers say they didn’t know anything about the project, and want to know who approved the spending. And they think that procedures need to be put in place for the future.

Ten days ago, subpoena’s were issued for documents from both state police and Abington Township. That information has not been provided to the lawmakers as of this writing.

This all stems from an incident in April, when Governor Shapiro and his family were asleep inside the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg.

Police released video they say shows Cody Balmer jumping the fence, breaking in and starting a fire. Balmer was sentenced to at least 25-years in prison.

After the assassination attempt, security audits were done at the mansion and the Shapiro personal home in Abington.

NBC10 has been looking into this and already has some of the documents lawmakers want that show a timeline and what was purchased.

We have been careful to avoid identifying the Governor’s personal home, or divulging any upgrades that may impact security.

Republican Senator Tracy Pennycuick from Montgomery County said, “The number one priority should be to make sure our governor is safe and more importantly his family is safe.”

Pennycuick found out about the nearly one million dollars spent to secure the Governor’s private home when a letter was sent to bipartisan house and senate leadership. The letter was from the State Department of General Services and State Police.

“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? Senator Pennycuick asked.

That’s one of many questions about the security upgrades. She didn’t say what was appropriate for security spending, but adds that there needs to be oversight on a project like this.

“I think every penny securing the Governor’s personal residence should be open to the public,” Senator Pennycuick said.

NBC10 asked Republican Senator Jarrett Coleman, the Chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee in the Pennsylvania Senate, “So, you’ve asked them for what they spent, when they spent it and how they spent it?”

Coleman replied, “And we have not received the level of specificity that you have.” He prepared the subpoenas issued December 9.

The subpoenas went to the Pennsylvania State Police and Abington Township to explain some of the work and costs.

“Our efforts to find out, for example, how much money has been spent, or how the money has been appropriated, how it was bid,” he said. “Those have all been, our answers have been stonewalled.”

Senator Coleman provided NBC10 with e-mails of specific questions to various state agencies that were acknowledged but not answered.

NBC10 was at the Governor’s home a month before that October letter went to lawmakers. On Sept. 22, we watched as electrical work was being done.

We filed official public records requests for information with the Governor’s office and state police that same day.

On Oct. 30, the Governor’s office sent us 150 pages of documents. They list costs and work timelines.

“In fact, you have more information than sitting Senators do at this time,” Coleman said.

We’ve found in those documents, on May 8, an emergency declaration was made by state police, that read in part “extensive restructure is needed” at the Governor’s home.

By May 29, a call was set for state police and the Governor. By June 19, a zoning application was filed with Abington Township to add a fence to the property.

“How are the services being procured? How are they being bid out? How are they being appropriated? And ultimately, who’s approving the payment for these repairs to be made?” Coleman asked.

By the end of July, a project proposal was sent for design and construction of the security upgrades, according to the documents.

The project manager sent an e-mail August 11, saying purchase orders have been submitted, but still waiting for approval from the comptroller.

The first time costs are discussed in the e-mails we were provided was on Sept. 3, when we see a total estimate of just over $925,000.

Items include a fence for $279,000, tree trimming for $93,000 and $320,000 for new landscaping.

“We absolutely need to know where every dollar went,” Coleman said.

After the motions for subpoena’s were released, we reached out to state police who told us funding for the upgrades would be coming from the PSP general operations funds.

We asked the Shapiro administration multiple times for an on camera interview, the requests on the topic have not been granted.

In November, the Governor’s office gave us a written statement:

“Following the assassination attempt on the Governor’s live 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.”

Senate Democrats fought against the issuing of subpoenas. Some said the Senate was overreaching in its authority. Others expressed concerns the documents obtained could pose further harm to the Governor and his neighbors.

Senator Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties said the threat to the Governor and his family extends beyond the April 13 attack.

“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,” Hughes said.

According to the letter provided to NBC10 by the Governor’s office, Governor Shapiro personally asked the ethics commission to review the expenses.

That letter was dated Sept. 25, more than a month after purchase orders were submitted.

The commission determined that there were not ethical issues with the improvements, and the Governor would not have to reimburse the state.

Senator Coleman is concerned about when the ethics commission was brought into this process.

“To my knowledge the ethics commission would not issue an opinion after the fact,” he said.

When we reached out to the ethics commission, it confirmed opinions were typically not issued after events, but when we asked why it seemingly had in this case, we were told in an e-mail that the commission could not comment on the confidential opinion.

“That is deeply concerning and raises serious ethical questions that need to be answered,” Coleman said.

Senate Republicans say it’s important that procedures are in place when it comes to paying for future Governor’s security needs in the wake of rising political violence.

“Certainly there’s no excuse for any type of political violence. That’s never the question,” Senator Pennycuick said. “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?”

Pennsylvania State Police sent us a statement that reads:

“While initially contemplated for this site, the fence was not installed and the cost of the fence was removed from this project. The fence is being utilized for another PSP project at the academy.”