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By Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Spotlight PA) — Democrat Josh Shapiro accepted $1,650 worth of “event tickets and catering” from a powerful Harrisburg lobbyist last year, a perk his campaign insists was a political contribution.
In his official capacity as Pennsylvania’s governor, Shapiro has banned all executive branch employees from receiving similar gifts from people who are trying to influence state government decisions.
The tickets were paid for by Michael Brunelle, a top staffer to former Gov. Tom Wolf who is now a lobbyist with clients including health care giants and energy and utility companies.
Brunelle also represents a manufacturer of skill games, unregulated slot-like machines whose legal status has been a point of contention for the casino industry. Shapiro called for skill games to be legalized and taxed during his recent budget address.