Shapiro
HARRISBURG, Pa. – A longtime government employee is suing Pennsylvania, claiming she was fired for raising concerns about the costs of fixing the Governor’s Residence after the attempted assassination of Josh Shapiro.
The arson attack occurred in April 2025 and did not cause any injuries to Shapiro or his family, but it left the house with plenty of damage. Nicole Moyer, a former procurement specialist with the Department of General Services, says in a Sept. 16 federal lawsuit that her gripes over flooring, wallpaper, lighting and HVAC contracts led to her termination.
After pointing out what she felt were skipped procedures in the contracting process, she was fired from her job on March 24 after 21 years with the state.
“(I)n Plaintiff’s experience, key senior management either do not understand, or care to understand, Commonwealth procurement requirements,” the lawsuit says.
The complaint cites a 2025 Spotlight PA article revealing that taxpayers spent $6 million fixing the residence, though officials would not disclose how $1.5 million of that figure was spent. Moyer claims waivers gave favored companies contracts without appropriate bid processes, and her lawsuit starts with floors.
Harrisburg Wall & Flooring billed $17,000 for a February contract for a carpet and installation. Moyer said officials failed to first assess whether that carpet was available with a vendor already on a contract. And a nonprofit focusing on employment opportunities for those with disabilities should have been offered the installation contract, she says. It was offered the work of completing the job with the stipulation it must be done in two weeks, “simply an attempt,” Moyer says, “to cover up and save face from improper procurement.”
Wallpaper purchased before the fire required special hanging, and the manufacturer recommended an installer that quoted $18,000. After the fire, the same paper was repurchased for $49,000 and installed by a different company, causing Moyer to question “duplicate expenditures.”
The suit tells similar stories of other purchases and installations and ends with Moyer’s termination and inability to find another government job. She says waivers are still being used to avoid bidding processes and is suing for violations of her free speech, due process and equal protection rights.
The complaint also makes a claim under the state’s whistleblower law. It was filed by attorneys Mark Schwartz and Lorraine Harmer.
