Politics

Pennsylvania Governor Claims Harris Vetting Team Asked if He Was an Israeli Agent

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Jan 19, 2026

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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro alleges in his forthcoming memoir, "Where We Keep the Light," that former Vice President Kamala Harris’s vetting team asked if he was an agent for the Israeli government during the selection process for a 2024 running mate. Shapiro attributes the inquiry to Dana Remus, a former aide to President Biden who helped lead the vetting efforts.

According to Shapiro, while he acknowledged Remus was performing her duties, he found the question offensive and revealing about the perspectives held by those around Harris. The governor also writes that the vetting team asked if he would apologize for his previous comments regarding university protesters who demonstrated against Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Shapiro states he refused to make such an apology, feeling the line of questioning focused more on ideology than substance.

The book describes the vetting process as "unnecessarily contentious." Shapiro claims he eventually decided to withdraw his name from consideration, noting that Harris appeared to dislike the role of vice president herself, allegedly complaining about a lack of decision-making authority and office amenities. When Shapiro sought to inform Harris directly of his withdrawal, he claims he was advised against it on the grounds that she would not receive the news well.

These assertions clash with accounts in Harris’s own memoir, "107 Days." In her book, Harris writes that she had to remind Shapiro that a vice president is not a "co-president" after he allegedly expressed a desire to be involved in every decision. She also claimed Shapiro focused on the number of bedrooms in the vice presidential residence. Shapiro has denied Harris's allegations, characterizing them as false.

Harris ultimately selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, and the ticket was defeated in the 2024 election. Harris’s team and Remus did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the claims in Shapiro’s book.

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• Concerns regarding the scope of the role In her memoir, former Vice President Harris writes that she had to remind Shapiro that the vice presidency is not a "co-president" position. She alleges that Shapiro expressed a desire to be involved in every decision, indicating a potential misunderstanding of the office's boundaries.

• Focus on amenities and residence details Harris claims that during the selection process, Shapiro focused on the number of bedrooms available in the vice presidential residence. These details are presented in her book as part of her account of the interactions leading up to the final selection.

• Execution of vetting duties and final selection While Shapiro criticized the nature of the questions, he acknowledged that aides like Dana Remus were performing their assigned vetting duties. Harris ultimately concluded the process by selecting Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate rather than Shapiro.

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