{"id":130315,"date":"2026-03-05T12:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T12:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/130315\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T12:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T12:45:18","slug":"josh-shapiros-reelection-campaign-funded-in-part-by-coal-executives-developers-and-gambling-interests-in-pennsylvania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/130315\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Shapiro’s reelection campaign funded in part by coal executives, developers, and gambling interests in Pennsylvania"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Florida developer who is building data centers<\/a> in Pennsylvania. A Chicago crypto trader whose company was sued<\/a> by the Biden administration. And a Southwestern Pennsylvania coal magnate whose firm received a permit from state regulators last year to expand operations \u2014 and is now seeking approval to open a new mine. <\/p>\n

These are some of the dozens of CEOs backing Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro<\/a>, a Democrat, as he seeks a second term<\/a> this fall in Harrisburg \u2014 with an eye on a possible run for president in 2028<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shapiro\u2019s gubernatorial campaign raised at least $8.5 million last year from nearly 240 CEOs, founders, business owners, and other top executives, according to an Inquirer analysis of campaign-finance records that were made public last month.<\/p>\n

That includes the single biggest donation to the campaign: $2.5 million from billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Shapiro\u2019s haul from top executives represents 50.8% of the $16.8 million he raised from donors who listed their occupation in campaign finance filings.<\/p>\n

During his first three years in office, Shapiro, 52, has sought to build a profile as a pragmatic, business-friendly governor, focusing on speeding the permitting process<\/a> and promoting economic development<\/a> through government grants and tax breaks. <\/p>\n

At the same time, the governor has proven adept at raising campaign cash from people who have business interests before state government in Harrisburg. Those include a skill game developer who staved off a major policy defeat this year and a waste coal power plant owner who gave $100,000 to Shapiro two days before the governor pulled out of a multistate program that requires such facilities to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a contrast with the rising populism on both the left and right, marked by a \u201cFighting Oligarchy\u201d<\/a> tour by progressive leaders and the MAGA movement\u2019s deep suspicion of elites<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unusual for corporate executives to make contributions to candidates from both parties. But the practice could invite scrutiny for Shapiro in a White House run \u2014 particularly among voters and activists who are dismayed by the role of money<\/a> in politics. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are concerned about any elected leaders taking monetary donations from corporate interests regardless of who they are,\u201d said Ashley Funk, executive director of the Mountain Watershed Association<\/a>, a nonprofit that opposes a Shapiro donor\u2019s coal mining expansion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that it influences decision-making,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u2018The speed of business\u2019<\/p>\n

For now, Shapiro\u2019s pledge to make Pennsylvania\u2019s government run \u201cat the speed of business\u201d<\/a> appears to have won over many executives, helping him build a massive fundraising advantage<\/a> in his reelection bid. Shapiro raised $23.2 million overall in 2025, compared with the $1.5 million reported by his likely Republican opponent, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve long admired the way the commonwealth approaches economic development and innovation, and I have deep respect for Gov. Shapiro\u2019s leadership,\u201d said Bob Clark, executive chairman and founder of Clayco<\/a>, a Chicago-based real estate and construction firm that is redeveloping a site at the industrial hub known as the Bellwether District<\/a> in South Philadelphia<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u00bb READ MORE: Big-money and out-of-state donors helped Josh Shapiro raise $30 million while Stacy Garrity raised $1.5 million from Pa.\u2019s grassroots<\/a><\/p>\n

Clark gave Shapiro\u2019s campaign $100,000 last year. \u201cI consider him both a trusted colleague and an effective leader,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In recent weeks, the governor has celebrated pledges by pharmaceutical companies to invest billions of dollars<\/a> in new facilities in Montgomery County<\/a> and the Lehigh Valley<\/a>, secured with tens of millions of dollars in state incentives. And last year, Amazon said it would spend $20 billion in Pennsylvania<\/a> to build two new AI data centers, in what officials called the single largest private investment in state history.<\/p>\n

Shapiro\u2019s allies say he stands up to big business, too, highlighting how he successfully prodded PJM Interconnection<\/a> LLC \u2014 the Valley Forge-based regional electric grid operator <\/a>whose voting members largely consist of companies in the electricity industry \u2014 to impose and extend a price cap<\/a>. He has also received support from organized labor. <\/p>\n

Shapiro argues that the way to restore faith in institutions is not by railing against billionaires but by showing that the government can fix real problems \u2014 \u201cget s\u2014 done,\u201d<\/a> in his parlance.<\/p>\n

Garrity, the Republican state treasurer, says Shapiro\u2019s actions don\u2019t live up to the hype.<\/p>\n

Under Shapiro\u2019s watch, she said, the state budget now has a $4.3 billion shortfall<\/a>, and Pennsylvania\u2019s economy is on the wrong track<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiberal national donors may be investing in Josh Shapiro\u2019s political vanity project, but hardworking Pennsylvanians are seeing nothing in return,\u201d she said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Garrity received nearly $380,000 from more than 60 CEOs and other top business executives. That figure represents about 41% of her contributions from donors who listed their occupation in campaign-finance filings.<\/p>\n

Shapiro\u2019s campaign said his coalition is \u201creflective of a governor who is delivering for all Pennsylvanians \u2014 and of a campaign that is fighting to win up and down the ballot.\u201d <\/p>\n

The governor has \u201cfocused on growing our economy and creating jobs, and he has delivered \u2014 creating tens of thousands of jobs, winning major deals, and building the only growing economy in the Northeast,\u201d campaign spokesperson Manuel Bonder said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Shapiro highlighted one such deal in July, when he appeared alongside executives at defense contractor Rhoads Industries<\/a> at the Navy Yard in South Philly to announce the firm\u2019s $100 million plan to build a new manufacturing facility, create 450 jobs, and boost production of submarine parts<\/a>. <\/p>\n

To help secure the investment, the Shapiro administration approved $4 million in grants<\/a> and, along with the City of Philadelphia<\/a>, extended a tax designation around the project site known as a Keystone Opportunity Zone<\/a>, a program that voids most state and local taxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that Rhoads is known to do is get things done. \u2026 We want to turn out product; we want to turn it around; we want to get it done,\u201d president Mike Rhoads said.<\/p>\n

Looking toward Shapiro, he said, \u201cSomebody standing to my left has the kind of same attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking his turn at a lectern that read \u201cRebuilding America\u2019s Fleet,\u201d Shapiro said<\/a> Rhoads\u2019 investment \u2014 with help from the state \u2014 would \u201censure the future of submarine manufacturing, shipbuilding, and all things important to securing our freedom is going to run right through the Philadelphia Shipyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three months later, in October, CEO Dan Rhoads contributed $10,000 to Shapiro\u2019s campaign \u2014 the single largest donation he made to a candidate for state office in the last decade, records show. Rhoads did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Data centers and \u2018skill games\u2019<\/p>\n

Shapiro donors\u2019 business interests include everything from data center construction<\/a> to state regulation of slot machine-style games and approvals for a nuclear reactor. <\/a><\/p>\n

Dan Hilferty, CEO of Philadelphia-based Comcast Spectacor \u2014 which owns the Flyers and the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly \u2014 gave $40,000. A political action committee affiliated with parent company Comcast also gave $50,000. Comcast Spectacor and the 76ers are building a new arena<\/a> at the South Philadelphia sports complex, and Shapiro last year did not rule out<\/a> offering state incentives. Hilferty, a former CEO of Independence Blue Cross, previously gave Shapiro\u2019s campaigns $27,500 over the past decade. Other Comcast Spectacor executives contributed about $95,000 during that period. <\/p>\n

Top executives at Pace-O-Matic, the Georgia-based developer of so-called skill games<\/a> that have proliferated across convenience stores and bars, gave $50,000. Operators for Skill, a PAC affiliated with the firm, contributed $10,000. The company successfully fended off a push<\/a> in 2025 by Shapiro and lawmakers to tax the games at a level the industry considered too high. The governor has renewed a push to regulate<\/a> the games, which some Philadelphia lawmakers say they would prefer to see banned<\/a>. Pace-O-Matic contributes to both parties and remains \u201ccommitted to fighting for fair regulation and taxation of Pennsylvania skill games,\u201d said Mike Barley, chief public affairs officer for Pace-O-Matic. <\/p>\n

Joseph Dominguez, president of Baltimore-based Constellation Energy, gave $25,000. The company is seeking to restart a nuclear reactor<\/a> at Three Mile Island just outside Harrisburg and needs state and federal approvals. The plant would supply power to Microsoft to support the tech company\u2019s data centers<\/a>. \u201cConstellation executives contribute to policymakers on both sides of the aisle who, like Gov. Shapiro, prioritize results and pragmatic solutions over politics,\u201d a company spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

Brian Patten, CEO of Next Generation Land Co. LLC, gave $10,000. He is a Florida data center developer who says he is pursuing projects in Pennsylvania<\/a>. Data centers that power companies\u2019 cloud storage and computing needs have drawn backlash<\/a> across the U.S. over fears of rising electricity rates. Shapiro in his February budget address said he wants data centers to supply their own energy<\/a> and pay for any new generation they need. He has also said the U.S. needs to win the AI race against China.<\/p>\n

Justin Thompson, CEO of Iron Senergy, a coal operator, gave $10,000. His firm owns the Cumberland Mine in Greene County. When Pennsylvania applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a $400 million grant<\/a>, it mentioned several firms \u2014 including Iron Senergy \u2014 that could use the money for decarbonization projects, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in 2024. The EPA awarded the grant, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is tasked with administering it. The state is now reviewing applications, which it says are confidential.<\/p>\n

Local and national donors<\/p>\n

Shapiro drew on a mix of executives from local and national firms. In Pennsylvania, he raised money from health system CEOs (Joseph Cacchione of Thomas Jefferson University<\/a>, $10,000), bankers (Richard J. Green of Philly-based Firstrust Bank, $125,000), and a home remodeler (Asher Raphael of Power Home Remodeling in Chester, $100,000). Josh Kopelman \u2014 founder of First Round Capital and chairman emeritus of The Inquirer\u2019s board of directors<\/a> \u2014 and his wife, Rena, each gave $50,000. <\/p>\n

There were private equity investors (San Francisco billionaire John Pritzker<\/a>, cousin of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, $50,000), Hollywood producers (Jimmy Miller of talent management and production firm Mosaic<\/a>, $75,000), professional sports team owners (telecom billionaire Robert Hale<\/a>, minority owner of the Boston Celtics, $50,000), and a Massachusetts sports betting executive (Jason Robins of DraftKings<\/a>, $10,000).<\/p>\n

For his part, Bloomberg is \u201ca big fan of Gov. Shapiro and a big believer in his leadership, and thinks he\u2019s done a great job for Pennsylvania,\u201d adviser Howard Wolfson told Axios<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At least one donor had ties to President Donald Trump<\/a>, whom Shapiro often criticizes. <\/p>\n

Don Wilson Jr., CEO of Chicago-based trading firm DRW Holdings LLC, gave $10,000 to Shapiro in September. <\/p>\n

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges<\/a> against a unit of Wilson\u2019s firm while President Joe Biden<\/a>, a Democrat, was in office. The SEC accused it of operating as an unregistered cryptocurrency dealer. <\/p>\n

Biden-era regulators said that firms were dodging that rule by claiming crypto was a commodity, not a security. The enforcers argued this exposed investors to extra risks<\/a> associated with digital currencies.<\/p>\n

Then last March, a couple of months after Trump took office, the new administration dropped the charges<\/a> against Wilson\u2019s firm. Nine weeks later, Wilson invested $100 million into a Trump bitcoin project, the Financial Times reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The company told the newspaper it engages in a \u201cvariety of strategies in the crypto ecosystem\u201d and saw value in holding bitcoin. \u201cThis transaction was viewed purely through that lens,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Trump denies having conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t stop the Democratic National Committee from flagging the news on its \u201cCORRUPTION WATCH\u201d<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration, the Democrats<\/a>\u2019 post said, \u201cnow appears to be engaged in blatant pay-to-play politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Power plants and coal mines <\/p>\n

Among corporate executives, two of the eight biggest donors to Shapiro\u2019s campaign last year were the father-and-son owners of privately held Robindale Energy Services<\/a>, which owns about 20 companies involved in waste coal reclamation, power generation, mining, and logistics. Robindale\u2019s assets include multiple power plants fueled by waste products from abandoned coal mines.<\/p>\n

CEO Scott Kroh and his son Judson, the Latrobe-based company\u2019s president, gave a total of $271,000. <\/p>\n

That included a $100,000 contribution from Scott Kroh two days before Shapiro signed the annual budget<\/a>, which came after a monthslong stalemate. The deal with Senate Republicans<\/a> included language pulling the state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative<\/a>, a multistate effort to generate cleaner power that Robindale had vocally opposed. <\/p>\n

Robindale\u2019s executives did not respond to requests for comment. <\/p>\n

In June 2023, Judson Kroh spoke out against RGGI at a public hearing, telling Pennsylvania lawmakers that Robindale\u2019s power plants have enough capacity to power 500,000 homes. \u201cOur main concern is you\u2019ll see a significant decrease in power exports out of the state due to RGGI, as well as a significant decrease in coal production,\u201d Kroh said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other energy industry firms, Republican lawmakers, and building trades unions have also long opposed the initiative<\/a>, which requires power plants to buy allowances to cover their carbon emissions. They call it a job killer and electricity tax. Environmental groups say it has reduced pollution and led to investments in clean energy in other states. <\/p>\n

Shapiro had for years expressed concerns about the greenhouse gas initiative, which Pennsylvania joined under his predecessor but never implemented due to litigation. Shapiro said in 2021 during his first run for governor that \u201cit\u2019s not clear to me\u201d <\/a>that the program protected jobs, addressed climate change, or ensured energy reliability.<\/p>\n

The Kroh family donated a total of $55,000 to his 2022 campaign and $21,000 the following year. Judson Kroh was among the more than 300 people who served on Shapiro\u2019s transition team<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Many of Robindale\u2019s operations are regulated by the state, and the company spent $150,000 lobbying state government officials last year, records show. Company executives in recent years have largely donated to Republicans in Harrisburg, though they have also supported some Democrats, including Shapiro. <\/p>\n

In addition to its power generation business, Robindale owns coal mines that are subject to state inspections and oversight. When two people died in a Somerset County mine<\/a> operated by subsidiary LCT Energy, DEP required the company to update its safety protocols. The deaths in 2022<\/a> and 2023<\/a> came during a time in which there were 20 coal mining fatalities nationwide, according to federal data<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Johnstown-based LCT is currently expanding. <\/p>\n

About 30 miles west of Maple Springs, LCT opened another mine in 2018 in Westmoreland County called Rustic Ridge 1, which produces 600,000 tons of coal a year. <\/p>\n

The state renewed the permit for the 2,800-acre underground mine in January last year, and from that month through March, the Kroh family donated $70,000 to Shapiro\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n

In April, after a yearslong review, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approved a permit<\/a> authorizing LCT to expand its operations there, adding 1,400 acres under the Pennsylvania Turnpike \u2014 the equivalent of 93 Lincoln Financial Fields. The permit allows LCT to mine coal up to 600 feet underground. The company sells the coal for production of steel. <\/p>\n

The nonprofit Mountain Watershed Association is appealing<\/a> the DEP\u2019s approval to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board<\/a> \u2014 whose judges are appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the state Senate \u2014 arguing that the expansion could harm groundwater and streams.<\/p>\n

Others say the mine supports jobs and helps the local economy. Before opening, the company said in 2014 that it would invest $50 million to develop the mine, according to local news reports.<\/p>\n

LCT is now also seeking federal and state approvals<\/a> to open a new, 2,300-acre underground mine<\/a> nearby. <\/p>\n

That process could soon speed up.<\/p>\n

The state budget Shapiro signed in November expanded<\/a> a program<\/a> for expedited permitting involving approvals from the DEP, which reviews 40,000 permits a year. Introduced in 2024, the program is currently available for eligible permits such as air quality, dam safety, and oil and gas erosion and sediment control.<\/p>\n

The budget legislation \u2014 cheered by Shapiro and GOP lawmakers \u2014 added more permit types,<\/a> including one for mining, \u201cwhich DEP is in the process of adding to the program,\u201d a department spokesperson said. <\/p>\n

Funk \u2014 the executive director of the watershed association, which has spent millions of dollars over the last 30 years repairing the environmental damage of legacy coal mining \u2014 said she is concerned the Krohs\u2019 political giving \u201cmight be having an influence over Shapiro and his administration as we work to permit some of Robindale\u2019s projects such as LCT Energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shapiro says permitting reform reflects his governing ethos.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you think about getting stuff done \u2026 it requires focus and speed,\u201d he said in December at a National Governors Association event<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotta be speedier as a country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Florida developer who is building data centers in Pennsylvania. A Chicago crypto trader whose company was sued…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[60543,28,30,29],"class_list":{"0":"post-130315","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pennsylvania","8":"tag-josh-shapiro-campaign-donors-pa-reelection","9":"tag-pennsylvania","10":"tag-pennsylvania-headlines","11":"tag-pennsylvania-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}