Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township is receiving national attention after major media outlets reviewed his new memoir, titled “Where We Keep the Light: Stories From a Life of Service”, ahead of its release on January 27.

In the book, Shapiro reportedly discussed the vetting process for him to become Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024, The Atlantic said. According to their reading, Shapiro was asked “Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?” by President Biden’s former White House counsel Dana Remus. Remus also reportedly asked whether Shapiro had ever spoken with an undercover Israeli agent. 

“I wondered whether these questions were being posed to just me — the only Jewish guy in the running — or if everyone who had not held a federal office was being grilled about Israel in the same way,” Shapiro wrote, according to the excerpts. “It nagged at me that their questions weren’t really about substance. Rather, they were questioning my ideology, my approach, my world view.”

According to CNN, which also obtained an advance copy of Shapiro’s book, Minnesota governor Tim Walz (whom Harris ultimately picked) was asked if he had ever been an agent of a foreign government as well.

Four people involved with the vetting process said that the question of being a foreign agent “is standard on the forms all the politicians hoping to be picked were asked to fill out, and which is the same form used for all high-level federal government appointees,” CNN wrote.

Harris reportedly wrote in her book, titled “107 Days“, that Shapiro would have been unhappy as second-in-command, that “he would want to be in the room for every decision”, and that he asked questions about the vice president’s residence, “from the number of bedrooms to how he might arrange to get Pennsylvania artists’ work on loan from the Smithsonian.”

In a December interview with The Atlantic, Shapiro called Harris’ book portrayal of his 2024 running mate candidacy “complete and utter bulls—”.

In August 2024, Shapiro rejected the idea that his Jewish faith played a role in Harris’ decision to choose Walz over him as a running mate.

CBS News’ coverage is below:

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.

Photo: Getty images