Inside the governor’s residence after an arson attack on April 13. (Credit: Shapiro administration via public records request/Spotlight PA)
A state-level political fight has landed squarely in Abington Township, where roughly $1 million in publicly funded security upgrades at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private home have sparked a push for subpoenas from a GOP-led Pennsylvania Senate committee.
The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee is seeking detailed records from the State Police about the ongoing work at the governor’s residence, located in Abington Township, including construction plans, landscaping changes, new equipment, and communications about how the upgrades were approved. The committee also plans to subpoena Abington Township for any documents related to the project.
State officials say the improvements were recommended after the arson attack earlier this year at the governor’s official Harrisburg residence, but sources told Spotlight PA the work in Abington began over the summer, weeks before Shapiro sought a formal ethics ruling on the use of taxpayer funds. The upgrades reportedly include tree trimming, a generator, electrical and gas installations, and new fencing—some of which required a zoning variance heard by Abington’s zoning board in July.
Committee chair Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh) argues the administration hasn’t fully cooperated with earlier requests for information, though he has now granted a two-week extension before the committee votes on issuing subpoenas. The Shapiro administration calls the inquiry a partisan attack and maintains that security agencies are simply doing what is necessary to keep the governor’s family safe.
The situation unfolds as the state continues to spend tens of millions on restoring and securing the governor’s fire-damaged official residence in Harrisburg, and as questions linger about private donations toward that project. For now, though, the political spotlight remains fixed on Abington—where the governor’s personal home has become the center of a statewide dispute over transparency, spending, and safety.
