An assistant public prosecutor in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was demoted this week after admitting he worked a second job as a delivery man for DoorDash, a food delivery app, while working for the county.
The man, Gregg Shore, who as the first assistant district attorney was the second highest official in the office, was demoted to deputy district attorney, prosecutor Matt Weintraub said on Thursday. Mr. Shore won $ 125,435 in 2019, according to public records.
Mr. Shore told KYW Radio, who first reported the story, that his reasons for taking the second job were personal and that he delivered mainly at night.
“However, I made the incredibly bad decision to deliver during the workday at times,” he said. “In doing so, I realize that I have betrayed my boss, my colleagues and, most importantly, the citizens of Bucks County.” Shore could not be reached for comment.
In announcing the demotion, Mr. Weintraub did not hide his disappointment.
“What he did is indefensible, thoughtless, selfish and so stupid. It doesn’t make sense, ”he said in a video statement.
“I don’t know why he did that,” he added. “Only he has the answer, and I will admit to you, I am very angry and upset.”
Mr. Shore was replaced as second in command by Jennifer M. Schorn, who has been in the office since 1999.
Mr. Shore has been a prosecutor for 19 years, working for the Pennsylvania attorney general and Lehigh County. He was deputy state secretary of labor from 2011 to 2015.
Mr. Weintraub credited him for starting the county’s insurance fraud unit and for processing several high-profile cases, including the murder trials of Sean Kratz and Cosmo DiNardo after four people were killed in 2017.
The prosecutor cited Mr. Shore’s public service record as one of the reasons he did not simply fire him, which he said was “easier and more politically convenient”. Shore had a history of “always being there to answer the call, even during those DoorDash times,” he said.
“Will he be able to withstand the pressure, scrutiny and shame that his conduct has brought upon himself?” Asked Mr. Weintraub. “I don’t know. But for now, I’m giving him that chance. He has a chance for redemption.”
DoorDash says its drivers receive between $ 2 and $ 10 per delivery, in addition to tips and occasional bonuses. In 2019, the company’s chief executive, Tony Xu, said that the driver earned an average of $ 17.50 an hour, although he defined an hour as the time spent on pickups and deliveries, not counting the time waiting for the arrival of the requests.
In 2019, the company changed its payment model after a New York Times article detailed how customer tips actually went to the company, not drivers.
Demand for food delivery skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, and many unemployed workers turned to the app for income. But drivers described difficult working conditions and erratic wages, as they are treated as self-employed, with no benefits.