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His swearing-in speech reflected on the big fights fought and won since taking office in 2017 -- and the ones to come in his second term.
“Four years ago, I was elected your Attorney General to fulfill the promise of this great agency, to work towards justice, and to take on the big fights, against the most powerful institutions, for every one of us," Shapiro said.
"I went to every corner of Pennsylvania — all 67 counties — the very first year, to listen…The work goes on — it must — because as we have seen over the past year, there is a long way to go.”
In his first term, Shapiro was widely recognized for his work in combating the country's opioid epidemic by leading a multi-state investigation into pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, his website biography says.
He was also known for exposing the Catholic Church’s decades-long cover-up of child sexual abuse, which identified 301 predatory priests and thousands of victims and spurring investigation across the United States, according to his website.
Shapiro also held a moment of silence to honor the 400,000 individuals who have lost their lives due to COVID-19, authorities said.
Democratic Shapiro held on to his seat after his defeat over Republican challenger, Heather Heidelbaugh, in the Nov. 2020 election.
He initially took office as the Attorney General in 2017 defeating Republican nominee John Rafferty Jr. with 51.39% of the vote.
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