MASSACHUSETTS REGULATORS accused a super PAC with close ties to Gov. Charlie Baker of breaking state campaign finance law by holding a fundraiser in July where the governor was the guest of honor.
The super PAC, called Massachusetts Majority, agreed to settle the charge by agreeing to “purge” $17,500 that was raised at the event.
The law, according to an enforcement letter sent to a lawyer representing the super PAC and Baker, bars candidates from financing traditional PACs or super PACs, which can raise unlimited amounts of money but are barred from coordinating with any candidate.
The state Office of Campaign and Political Finance said using Baker’s name on an invitation to the fundraiser at the UMass Club on July 25 in Boston violated the law.
“It is worth noting that the committee was notified by OCPF in prior discussions that such use of a candidate’s name would not be consistent with [state law],” the letter said.
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About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
Baker, a Republican, is a big supporter of the Massachusetts majority super PAC, which generally supports moderate candidates from both parties but in November leaned more heavily Republican. Many of the super PAC’s supporters have said they give money to the PAC because of Baker’s involvement.
The letter, dated December 8, was addressed to a lawyer in Alexandria, Virginia, who apparently represents the super PAC. The enforcement action was first reported by the Boston Globe.
