Pennsylvania Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday approved a legal settlement clearing the way for about $1.1 million in taxpayer payments to contractors who installed security upgrades at Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro's private home after an arson attack on the governor's residence.

The Washington Examiner reported that the agreement ended a months-long standoff with Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Shapiro's rival in this year's governor's race.

Sunday called the settlement a one-time solution and urged lawmakers to update state law to address security threats against elected leaders.

The Pennsylvania State Police recommended the upgrades after an April 2025 firebomb attack at the governor's residence in Harrisburg.

Garrity had refused to release the money, arguing that public funds could not be used for improvements to private property without explicit legal authority.

"The Attorney General's letter to the Shapiro administration makes it clear, and I've emphasized repeatedly, my sworn duty is to uphold the law, protect taxpayers, and only act with explicit legal authority," Garrity said. "Today's settlement agreement confirms I did exactly that."

Garrity accused the Shapiro administration of bypassing proper contracting procedures and exposing taxpayers to possible litigation.

"Safety and security matter to everyone, but good intentions can never excuse ignoring the law," she said.

The dispute followed security work at Shapiro's Montgomery County home after his family relocated there during repairs to the governor's residence.

Cody Balmer, a Harrisburg resident, climbed a security fence April 13, 2025, slipped past security, and threw Molotov cocktails into the governor's home while Shapiro, his wife, and their children slept inside.

Balmer later told investigators he would have attacked Shapiro had he seen him. Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted murder, terrorism, arson, burglary, aggravated assault, and related charges and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

The attack caused millions of dollars in damage to the historic residence.

State police determined additional security was needed at the governor's residence and Shapiro's private home.

The work proceeded under an emergency procurement process, but the payments became tangled in a legal and political dispute over whether Pennsylvania law allowed taxpayer-funded upgrades to a governor's personal property.

The attorney general's office said Garrity was legally justified in refusing payment under existing law.

The settlement will allow contractors to be paid while leaving lawmakers to decide whether Pennsylvania needs clearer rules for emergency security upgrades when threats extend beyond government property.