Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman was not particularly ambitious as the lieutenant governor of the Keystone State, according to a review of his work calendars released on Thursday.
An analysis from the Associated Press determined that Fetterman’s daily schedule was blank for roughly one-third of his work days from January 2019, the beginning of his tenure, to May 2022, when he experienced a stroke days before his primary election. On the days when he did work, Fetterman typically threw in the towel after four or five hours.
Fetterman attended ribbon cutting ceremonies and participated in a statewide tour about the legalization of marijuana during his first year in office, which had 47 blank work days. His workload plummeted after the onset of COVID in March 2020, when Fetterman began to attend 45-minute morning meetings focused on the virus response. He seldom participated in the meetings, even though he was charged with leading a task force intended to evaluate the disparities in COVID policy, which eventually produced a 32-page report.
The official would often take media interviews after the morning meetings and sometimes skipped commonwealth business in the process. By 2021, Fetterman had 115 work days with no activities enumerated, while the records show he only worked 11 hours between the end of June to the middle of September. He had 70 blank days on his schedule between the beginning of 2022 and his hospitalization in May.
The former mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, nevertheless made $179,000 per year in his position. He affirmed in a statement to the Associated Press that he was able to have “an impact beyond the prescribed power of a given office.”
“As lieutenant governor,” he remarked, “my record of showing up and shaking up this office has transformed the Board of Pardons, saved Pennsylvania millions in taxpayer dollars, and grown support in our state for defending LGBTQIA+ rights, weed legalization, union workers, and raising the minimum wage.”
The report comes as Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz reduces the gap between himself and Fetterman in the polls. According to a recent survey from Emerson College and The Hill, the celebrity cardiologist boasts 43% support from the voting population while Fetterman boasts 45% — a difference within the survey’s margin of error, placing Oz in a statistical tie after months of lagging his rival.
The Oz campaign and other Republicans have criticized Fetterman for receiving a five-figure allowance from his parents during his time in Braddock, even as his sister allowed him to stay in his apartment virtually for free. The unorthodox politician, who earned a mere $1,800 during his tenure as mayor of Braddock, often wears hoodies and basketball shorts while in public and towers at six feet, eight inches.
Governor Tom Wolf (D-PA) told the Associated Press that Fetterman’s post has “limited responsibilities,” but characterized him “a dedicated public servant who has supported my priorities over the past four years.”
Fetterman has repeatedly nodded to drug decriminalization and monitored injection sites, as well as defended Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who is currently under investigation from the Pennsylvania House for allegedly neglecting to enforce the city’s laws.