ON JANUARY 21, the famous Supreme Court decision of Citizens United vs the FEC celebrated its 13th anniversary, but here in Massachusetts the efforts to undermine this expansion of our right to free speech and association before an election continues. If it’s not stopped now, it would most likely result in unions having the loudest […]
Campaign finance
Posted inCriminal Justice
Former candidate arrested on campaign finance charges
A FORMER Massachusetts congressional candidate was arrested Tuesday and accused of soliciting at least $125,000 of illegal campaign contributions from friends and family members and steering some of the funds into his hotel business. Abhijit Das, a resident of North Andover who ran in the Democratic primary for Congress in the Third Congressional District in […]
Posted inOpinion
Are Spilka and Tarr PACs at risk?
ON APRIL 12, Bill Campbell took over as the new director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, and immediately faced one of the most controversial political hot potatoes any new director could possibly inherit. Campbell’s predecessor, Michael Sullivan, scored a last-minute political point by referring a case involving Republican State Sen. Ryan Fattman, […]
Posted inThe Download
Do Fattman, Eldridge donations follow similar pattern?
Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Acton was a big supporter of his former State House aide, Danillo Sena, when Sena ran for a House seat last year. According to Sena’s campaign finance report, Eldridge on February 11 personally donated $1,000 to the Sena campaign and Eldridge’s campaign committee donated another $100. Both donations were the maximum […]
Posted inPolitics
Do Fattman, Eldridge donations follow similar pattern?
SEN. JAMIE ELDRIDGE of Acton was a big supporter of his former State House aide, Danillo Sena, when Sena ran for a House seat last year. According to Sena’s campaign finance report, Eldridge on February 11 personally donated $1,000 to the Sena campaign and Eldridge’s campaign committee donated another $100. Both donations were the maximum […]
Posted inPolitics
Sullivan refers Fattmans, Lyons to AG
THE STATE’S CHIEF campaign finance regulator on Thursday referred evidence to Attorney General Maura Healey that he believes indicates Sen. Ryan Fattman, Worcester County Register of Probate Stephanie Fattman, Republican Party chairman Jim Lyons, and others may have violated campaign finance laws. A series of eight referral letters to Healey did not spell out the […]
Posted inOpinion
Fattman campaign finance case is not unique
REWRITING CAMPAIGN finance rules after the fact can be a very dangerous game. If Michael Sullivan, the outgoing director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF), sets a new standard against state Sen. Ryan Fattman and Worcester County Register of Probate Stephanie Fattman, can we expect Democrats to be treated the same? Under […]
Posted inPolitics
Does 26-year-old case parallel Fattman situation?
STATE CAMPAIGN finance regulators handled a case 26 years ago in which the circumstances were similar to a situation today involving Republican Sen. Ryan Fattman and his wife, Stephanie Fattman, the Republican register of probate in Worcester County. The 1995 case ended with a disposition agreement requiring the rollback of donations made through the Massachusetts […]
Posted inThe Download
Was the Sutton GOP Town Committee just a conduit?
Republican Stephanie Fattman seemed poised to easily win reelection last year as register of probate in Worcester County. She had a pile of campaign cash, the name recognition of an incumbent, and an opponent who was dealing with health problems and a novice at politics. But Fattman wasn’t leaving anything to chance. She outspent her […]
Posted inPolitics
Was the Sutton GOP Town Committee just a conduit?
REPUBLICAN STEPHANIE FATTMAN seemed poised to easily win reelection last year as register of probate in Worcester County. She had a pile of campaign cash, the name recognition of an incumbent, and an opponent who was dealing with health problems and a novice at politics. But Fattman wasn’t leaving anything to chance. She outspent her […]