(The Center Square) \u2013 Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and\u00a0a\u00a0likely\u00a02028\u00a0presidential candidate, spent\u00a0nearly $1,700\u00a0of taxpayer dollars for three nights at\u00a0high-end, luxury hotels, according to records The Center Square obtained under state open records laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hotel stays were for\u00a0two\u00a0ceremonial political events.\u00a0Shapiro\u00a0spoke at an annual parade\u00a0in downtown Pittsburgh\u00a0on Labor Day\u00a0two\u00a0years ago\u00a0and attended\u00a0the\u00a0funeral\u00a0of former President Jimmy Carter\u00a0at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.\u00a0last January.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither hotel is the most expensive in its city, and\u00a0each\u00a0per-night stay\u00a0would have been\u00a0less\u00a0on an ordinary occasion.<\/p>\n
But\u00a0one\u00a0Republican\u00a0lawmaker, a frequent critic,\u00a0said Shapiro\u2019s travels highlight his lack of regard for state taxpayers and their money.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom luxury hotel stays, to extensive travel on state\u00a0aircraft, and a VIP tent at the US Open in Oakmont, Governor Shapiro\u00a0certainly appears to be\u00a0trying to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous at taxpayer expense,\u201d State Senator Jarrett Coleman, a Republican, said in a statement to The Center Square.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Shapiro did not\u00a0immediately\u00a0return an email for comment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
On\u00a0Sept. 3 and 4, 2023, Shapiro\u00a0spent $1,154\u00a0for a room and meals\u00a0at the Kimpton Hotel\u00a0Monaco\u00a0in\u00a0Pittsburgh, a\u00a0hotel that the American Automobile Association\u00a0recognized as\u00a0<\/a>worth four diamonds<\/a>.\u00a0Fewer than 5% of all AAA-approved hotels\u00a0in North America\u00a0receive the rating\u20141,750 in\u00a0all \u2014for\u00a0featuring\u00a0\u201cupscale style and amenities with the right touch of service.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n On its website, the Kimpton Hotel Monaco<\/a> described itself as \u201cyour playfully unafraid answer to boutique hotels in Pittsburgh.\u201d<\/p>\n On Jan. 9, 2025, Shapiro\u00a0charged taxpayers\u00a0$589\u00a0for a room and meals\u00a0at the Conrad in downtown Washington<\/a>, a hotel\u00a0the AAA\u00a0designated\u00a0that August\u00a0as worth four diamonds.\u00a0The ten-story glass-panel\u00a0build\u00a0features floor-to-ceiling windows, white-marble bathrooms, and on the eighth floor and above, partial views of the Capitol.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cExperience modern\u00a0luxury\u00a0in Washington, D.C., with a stay in our exceptional\u00a0guest rooms and suites,\u201d the Conrad said on its website.\u00a0Only\u00a0a dozen hotels in the nation\u2019s capital received a designation of four- or five diamonds last year, according to\u00a0the AAA.com<\/a> website.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shapiro, 52, is widely considered to be a candidate for the Democratic Party\u2019s presidential nomination\u00a0in\u00a02028. He was\u00a0a finalist to be the vice-presidential pick of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris\u00a0in the summer of 2024, but\u00a0he took himself out of the running.<\/p>\n In\u00a0the\u00a0Keystone\u00a0State,\u00a0Shapiro enjoys a 60% approval ratin<\/a>g<\/a>, according to a Morning Consult poll released on Feb. 3.\u00a0He is running for a second term in office this fall. His likely opponent will be State Treasurer\u00a0Stacy Garity,\u00a0the\u00a0GOP\u2019s presumptive nominee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n