Hundreds of prosecutors, staff join Attorney General Shapiro as Chief Integrity Officer Fillman leads first wave of ethics training
STATE COLLEGE — Today, Attorney General Josh Shapiro joined hundreds of Office of Attorney General prosecutors and staff who are undergoing mandatory ethics training led by the office’s first-ever Chief Integrity Officer, Eric Fillman.
Attorneys in the Office of Attorney General, in addition to staff from other departments, were required to attend today’s training session, which is being videotaped for showing to every employee of the agency on a later date.
“Today delivers on a promise I made last year to the people of Pennsylvania to ensure that ethics and integrity are top priorities in our office,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “We’re working to restore Pennsylvanians’ trust in the Office of Attorney General, and today is an important step towards that goal.”
Today Chief Integrity Officer Fillman lead the first phase of the office-wide ethics training with a presentation entitled, “Restoring Institutional Integrity.” Fillman examined scandals in other public and private institutions, drew upon lessons learned, and pointed out new ways forward to help create what he calls “a culture of integrity” in the Office of Attorney General.
“This agency has remarkably dedicated employees,” Fillman said. “Under Attorney General Shapiro’s leadership, we are rapidly re-establishing a highly ethical atmosphere. Our goal is to build mutual trust within the agency which leads directly to restoring the reputation of the institution with our law enforcement partners and the public. These ethics programs are key steps in achieving that goal.”
Attendees at today’s ethics training, which was held at Toftrees Conference Center in State College, included most attorneys in the office, from Attorney General Shapiro to First Deputy Michelle Henry to all section chiefs and other prosecutors and attorneys. All agents and staff of the agency will be required to watch the videotaped session at a later date.
“This is an opportunity for our attorneys to come together in one place and recommit ourselves to the importance of ethics in our work for the people of Pennsylvania,” said First Deputy Attorney General Henry. “We’re building a team here in the Office of Attorney General, and we’re placing ethics and integrity first on the agenda.”
On his first day in office, Attorney General Shapiro signed a new Code of Ethics for the agency, drafted by Fillman. Within a week’s time, every employee in the office – nearly 800 persons – voluntarily signed the new ethics code.
“First we crafted a new code of conduct, so every employee knows the rules,” Shapiro said. “Today our chief integrity officer – the first in office history – is providing the training to give all our employees additional guidance. Ethics and integrity matter to us, and we’re keeping our word to the citizens of our Commonwealth.”
