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Shapiro Officially Announces AG Campaign

Josh ShapiroThe Montgomery County Commissioner has officially jumped into the Attorney General campaign.

Josh Shapiro sent out a 1,500 word open letter to Pennsylvanians explaining why he wants to run and what he hopes to accomplish.

“As Attorney General, I’ll lead the effort to restore integrity to our government,” Shapiro said. “I’ll do this by advocating for and adopting tough ethical standards and by looking out for those who often get hurt in the system that is rigged against them.”

Shapiro’s pledge to “restore integrity” is a not so veiled reference to incumbent Attorney General Kathleen Kane and all her troubles. Kane is now asserting that she’ll run for re-election and either way the eventual Democratic nominee will have to distance himself from her.

The message even subtly echoes George W. Bush’s pledge in 2000 to “restore and dignity to the White House” after the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Viewed in that context, Shapiro may be trying to preempt any effort by the GOP nominee to paint the contest as a referendum on Kane.

The candidate also sought to portray the recent scandals as part of a long line that stretches across decades and party lines.

“Pennsylvania’s next Attorney General will face many specific challenges but the most pressing challenge we face today in our justice system is a crisis of confidence, doubts about the administration of justice and the results that follow,” Shapiro explained. “From ‘Bonusgate’ to ‘Kids For Cash’ and now to ‘Porngate’ we can’t help but feel frustrated with our democracy and its leaders.”

Before becoming Montgomery County Commissioner, Shapiro served as a State Representative for the 153rd district from 2005 to 2012. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lori, and they have four children together.

Allegheny County DA Stephen Zappala, Northampton DA John Morganelli, prosecutor Jack Stollsteimer and attorney Dave Fawcett are also running in the Democratic primary.

27 Responses

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  2. Zappala has the Leon Ford baggage and Morganelli has the Rich Scheurmann baggage. Rich S made a wrong turn on an Easton Street, and was then executed while unarmed, at the time his truck had crashed and imobilized on top of a telephone pole. Morganelli refused to review the case, and instead punted it to Kathy Kane, who is lucky if she can count the flakes in her morning bowl of wheaties these days.

    No charges were filed against the officer, the case is long over, yet the dashcam videos are under lock and key, intentionally hidden from the public to this day.

    Morganelli is a political monster who uses his grand jury to get political revenge on his enemies, and has abused his office for over 20 years with political prosecutions or lack therof for his political cronies and criminal cohorts.

    If anyone thinks that Kathy Kane was a disaster, she is a fairytale when compared to the damage John Morganelli would do to a Statewide Office. John likes to tout that he is the most experienced prosecutor in the field of candidates , but fails to tell the real truth about his 4000 per year criminal docket list.

    The real truth is that 99% of his dockets get plead out, or turned into expensive ARD programs where innocent defendants must line the county and state coffers with astronomical fees , which are often not paid, and then costs the system even more when they are thrown in jail by his bloated probation department.

    ASk John how many of his prosecutions go to trial, and his success rate with obtaining convictions. Its abysmal and insulting to the law enforcement community.

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  4. And there is a guy in Allegheny County that helped the Police there cover-up the shooting of an unarmed 19 year old. That kid’s name is Leon Ford and he was brutalized by 3 police officers who mistook him for someone else. They cursed at him. They accused him of being a liar. And then they shot him. While he lay in his hospital bed, paralyzed, Zappala charged him with crimes he did not commit. A jury found him not guilt after the DA’s Office tried to hide evidence that helped Ford.

  5. In my view, Josh Shapiro will politicize the AG’s office and use it to build his base for run for governor. I think John Morganelli has no further ambitions.

  6. Josh Shapiro is a politician, not a prosecutor.

    What is Commissioner Shapiro’s experience as a prosecutor and as the manager of a prosecutor’s office? Both Stephen Zappala and John Morganelli have a record of many years’ experience as highly competent prosecutors and as managers of a prosecutor’s office.

    What are Josh Shapiro’s qualifications for Attorney General? Josh Shapiro is a politician, not a prosecutor.

  7. Go Josh Go-

    Not needing a licence is different than not having DA/courtroom experience.

    The secretary of a DA, or his paralegal assistant, would have more relevant experience than Josh, merely by virtue of being present in meetings where the back and forth decisions surrounding cases and the mechanics.

    There are a lot of Josh fans who want to see him advance, but no serious person thinks he’s qualified.

  8. “At least 97 percent” of his job didn’t require a law license”, Rendell estimated
    Coming from a Old Philadelphia DA, clearly he knows what the job of Attorney General would be because he has been a DA of the biggest city in PA. So Josh Haters go pound salt!!!! Attorney General is an Administrative role. Clearly

  9. Cut services two days after the election, campaigned for an office he had no intention of serving in, balanced the budget through accounting tricks and the sale of restricted open space. That is all you need to know about how much “integrity” he would bring to the office.

  10. Wolfpack, would you ask a dermatologist to perform heart surgery on you? They’re both doctors. Would you hire a tax lawyer to defend you in a DUI trial? They’re both lawyers.

  11. ellen

    On an island, inside a dormant volcano, where he plots to takeover the world. 🙂

  12. @PatUnger-Rafferty was a deputy AG for 3 years. Not saying that qualifies him. Just answering your question. Shapiro is a complete politician and a good one. Just completely unqualified for AG. Has never practiced law and frankly probably doesn’t even understand what the office does. As for restoring integrity, that’s a tough argument to make after just running for county commissioner and telling your donors (and county voters)that you were seeking four more years running the county. That sounds an awful lot like a lie to me. So much for integrity.

  13. You all seem to miss the most important point that Shapiro made: The PA “justice” system is broken and has been for some time due to the rampant corruption throughout the judiciary. To restore integrity to the system, you need more judges with integrity, not the sorry lot PA has been coddling for decades.

  14. Because every job anyone has ever applied for, or been awarded, or ran for they held a position right below that.. SURE Yeah RIGHT!!!!
    Josh is an attorney. That is the only requirement…
    No rule that says because some guy that has nothing better to do then write comments gets to say.

  15. Go Josh Go
    GO AWAY. Josh sounds like a kindergarten name. What’s Josh’s plan for cleaning up the AG office. He’s part of the problem with his made up crime commission. It’s a made up commission specifically designed for him to make up for the fact HE NEVER TRIED A CASE. He will use the taxpayers money to go on a Crime Commission TOUR handing out money to counties he can’t get political support from. That’s what he criticized Perzel and DeWeese for. EMPTY NEFARIOUS SUIT.

  16. Go Josh GO

    It’s the experience of prosecuting cases the A.G. needs to properly oversee how cases are being prosecuted, and making critical decisions on plea bargains, which cases to pursue, etc.

    It’s a difference between working for a boss who understands and has done your job vs one who hasn’t done the job.

  17. seriously though, how does he possibly win this primary? zappala will dominate western pa & shapiro would have to sweep the philly market, which i do not anticipate. he’s a montco, not a philly, guy. also, let’s be honest, the name shapiro in northeastern & central pennsylvania? particularly in light of the fact that voters won’t know him well due to prez and senate primaries, which will soak up the oxygen.

  18. When is the last time you saw an Attorney General in the court room prosecuting a case?? of yeah NEVER!!!
    Josh will clean up the mess of that office. Corbett was a prosecutor and all they did was play with themselves as they watched Porn. And use the office for political gain. Get use to saying Attorney General Shapiro. Practice you can get it. Kane just needs to go deal with her world and leave the election alone.

  19. Since you asked, I’m not sold on Rafferty either. But at least he some background in criminal prosecution. Shapiro has none at all.

  20. I know of he is qualified as Attorney General, and that way is for one of the former congresswomen can be the next Montgomery County Commissioner in 2017.

  21. A state representative a county commissioner yeah he is absolutely qualified for attorney general NOT.

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