One of the individuals who could become Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate is being accused of covering up a sexual harassment scandal. 

The individual, according to the Daily Beast, is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D).

The claim - that Shapiro covered up a sexual harassment scandal - actually comes from Erin McClelland, a Democrat who is running to be Pennsylvania's next treasurer.

I want a VP pick that’s secure enough to be second under a woman, is content to be VP & won’t undermine the President to maneuver his own election & doesn’t sweep sexual harassment under the rug. I want someone that can speak to rural voters. That is @RoyCooperNC

— Erin McClelland (@ErinforPA) July 23, 2024

The allegation

In a message that McClelland posted to her X account, on July 23, 2024, she claimed that Shapiro has swept a sexual harassment scandal "under the rug."

She wrote:

I want a VP pick that’s secure enough to be second under a woman, is content to be VP & won’t undermine the President to maneuver his own election & doesn’t sweep sexual harassment under the rug. I want someone that can speak to rural voters. That is @RoyCooperNC

As you may have noticed, McClelland does not name Shapiro in this message. But, we know that she was referring to Shapiro because she confirmed that she was in a subsequent interview with the New York Post. 

The Post reports, "McClelland noted she did not mention Shapiro’s name directly in her tweet but told The Post her concerns about the extent of the governor’s presidential ambitions should he be added to the ticket."

McClelland has not provided details about the alleged sexual assault, but the Post believes she was referring to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here's the claim:

The Inquirer reported:

McClelland was likely referring to a sexual harassment scandal in Shapiro’s office last year. Shapiro’s top legislative liaison was accused of sexual harassment and the governor’s office quietly reached a settlement with the accuser for $295,000. The liaison, Mike Vereb, did not resign until months after an internal complaint was filed, records show, and Shapiro was criticized for his administration’s handling of the scandal.

Shapiro has not directly commented on this reporting.

This all comes as Shapiro is reportedly being considered by Harris to be her running mate.

The Post separately has reported, "Two frontrunners have emerged in the race to be presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s second in command: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly."

It is worth pointing out that Harris has yet to be formally named the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, although Democratic leaders have given her their support.