Keystone Today

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Josh Shapiro announced that more than 1,800 Commonwealth employees, including all cabinet members and their deputies, all Governor’s Office executive staff, and senior managers with the Commonwealth – have completed mandatory in-person ethics and integrity training led by government ethics expert Eric Fillman.

Governor Shapiro previously announced 100% of employees covered by his executive order have signed the Governor’s integrity pledge, committing themselves to placing the interests of Pennsylvanians above all else and maintaining public trust in their work.

“Our ethics package 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 continue to 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.”  

During his first week in office, Governor Shapiro announced a three-part ethics package to ensure that the highest standards of integrity guide every action taken by the public servants, officials, and employees under the Governor’s jurisdiction. Governor Shapiro’s integrity pledge and the mandatory ethics training are modeled after best practices he established in the Office of Attorney General.    

The trainings were coordinated by the Office of General Counsel along with the assistance of the Office of Administration.

“We are proud to help ensure that the majority of senior executive staff and all Cabinet members have completed ethics training,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “We will continue working to make certain current and future Commonwealth employees operate under the highest standards of trust and integrity as they work for the people of Pennsylvania.” 

“The work Governor Shapiro did in the Office of Attorney General is the gold standard in restoring institutional integrity and I was proud to continue that work by leading ethics training for more than 1,800 Commonwealth employees,” said Eric Fillman, former chief counsel for the House Ethics Committee in Harrisburg and the first-ever Chief Integrity Officer under then-Attorney General Shapiro. “Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, he will ensure the Commonwealth maintains an atmosphere of integrity and trust as he moves his agenda forward.”

The Shapiro Administration conducted ethics training in Harrisburg and regionally in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Additionally, all new Commonwealth employees under the Governor’s jurisdiction will be required to complete online ethics training as part of their onboarding process.

Original source can be found here.