Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: All about the money

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: All about the money

SHOTS FIRED — Democrats are now airing their grievances over super PAC spending in the attorney general and lieutenant governor primaries on the airwaves.

State Sen. Eric Lesser is out with a new ad slamming Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, one of his Democratic primary rivals for lieutenant governor, over a super PAC funded by Republican-linked donors that's supporting her bid.

“It’s a dark-money disgrace, Kim Driscoll getting big money support from a Republican megadonor close to Mitch McConnell,” a female narrator says in the ad, titled “Priced Out.” “Maybe because that Republican, a leading real estate developer, knows he’s got a friend in Kim Driscoll.”

Lesser is referring to the “Leadership for Mass” independent expenditure PAC that started airing a television ad in support of Driscoll last week. Among the super PAC’s top donors is Christopher Collins, a real estate investment company co-founder who’s given to McConnell in the past but also to presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Maura Healey. Another is Granite Telecommunications’ Robert T. Hale Jr., who’s given large sums to Republicans’ federal campaign arms as well as to Democrats.

Hale gave the maximum allowed donation, $1,000, to Lesser in April. Lesser’s campaign said he returned the donation on Monday before releasing his ad.

The major escalation by Lesser, just two weeks before primary day, prompted a scathing rebuke from Driscoll’s campaign, which is barred from coordinating with the super PAC.

“This campaign has seen nothing but strong momentum,” Driscoll campaign manager Juan Gallego said. “This is why desperate campaigns are going to try to knock her down with misleading attacks. Kim’s taken on the insiders before and won, and she’ll do it again in two weeks.”

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Attorney general hopeful Quentin Palfrey is taking another shot at the super PAC supporting rival Andrea Campbell in his first television ad.

“I’ll never take corporate special interest money,” Palfrey says in the 30-second spot shared first with Playbook. “The attorney general’s office is not for sale.”

Palfrey doesn’t mention Campbell by name, but it’s a clear dig at the Environmental League of Massachusetts spending $156,850 on mailers and digital ads supporting the former Boston city councilor.

Palfrey put $250,000 behind the ad, which also highlights his federal experience and how he sued “predatory” insurance companies as an assistant state attorney general. He's the last of the Democratic contenders for attorney general to go up on the airwaves; Campbell is on her second ad and Shannon Liss-Riordan is on her fourth.

Democratic candidate for Massachusetts attorney general Quentin Palfrey rips super PAC spending in his first television ad. | Screenshot from Palfrey campaign ad.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Rep. Richard Neal and transportation officials ride Amtrak from Boston to Springfield, where they’ll hold a press conference at Union Station at 3:30 p.m. Sen. Ed Markey hosts a press conference on his trip to Taiwan, Cambodia, South Korea and the Philippines at 11 a.m. at the JFK Federal Building. Rep. Jake Auchincloss is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a press conference on early voting at 11:30 a.m. at the MFA. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is in Wellfleet at 1:45 p.m. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins MassHousing and The Neighborhood Developers in Chelsea at 3 p.m. Democratic statewide candidates participate in a forum at Braintree Town Hall at 6 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— NEW: The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts is rolling out 48 state legislative endorsements today. Among the 16 Senate candidates receiving support are Democrats state Rep. Paul Mark; state Rep. Jake Oliveira, who’s vying against Sydney Levin-Epstein in the primary to replace state Sen. Eric Lesser; and Kathleen Crogan-Camara, who’s primarying state Sen. Walter Timilty. Among the 32 House candidates are Teresa English , who’s challenging Republican state Rep. Marc Lombardo; Stephen Fishman, who’s challenging Republican state Rep. Hannah Kane; Nichole Mossalam, who’s primarying Democratic state Rep. Paul Donato; and James Arena-DeRosa, Simon Cataldo, Sam Montaño and Margareth Shepard in open-seat races.

“As millions of people lose access to abortion and politicians threaten to restrict all reproductive rights across the country, we need elected leaders that are bold, effective, unapologetic champions for sexual and reproductive health and rights to ensure Massachusetts remains a beacon for reproductive freedom and a safe place to access care,” Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak , president of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, said in a statement shared first with Playbook.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Attorney General Maura Healey has endorsed Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins for reelection, calling him a “strong partner in the push for a more equitable criminal justice system.”

— The Massachusetts Teachers Association, which represents nearly 115,000 educators statewide, has endorsed former Brookline Select Board Vice Chair Raul Fernandez for 15th Norfolk state representative.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: The Merrimack Valley Central Labor Council, which represents AFL-CIO members in 33 cities and towns, has endorsed state Rep. Tami Gouveia for lieutenant governor.

— “Healey regrets 2020 comment on ‘how forests grow’,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “On June 2, 2020, eight days after the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Attorney General Maura Healey gave a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in which she focused on the lack of progress in addressing racial inequality and the storm of protests churned up by the killing. As she ended her remarks, Healey offered a metaphor for the racial reckoning the country was confronting. ‘Yes, America is burning, but that’s how forests grow,’ she told her audience over Zoom. It was a provocative phrase that quickly drew scorn from Republicans and those on the right. Now, in the midst of a campaign for governor that is hers to lose, Healey is walking it back.”

— “Shannon Liss-Riordan won millions for workers. But did she take too much for herself in the process?” by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: “In the Democratic race for attorney general, Shannon Liss-Riordan has presented herself as a champion of working people, a class-action employment lawyer who has put millions of dollars back in the pockets of waitresses, truck drivers, janitors, and other undervalued employees she has represented in court. But the prolific attorney was also faulted, well before her foray into politics, for seeking substantial shares of those lucrative settlements, a criticism that goes straight to the heart of her campaign as a tireless defender of low-wage workers.”

— “We asked the Dem. AG candidates about neo-Nazis, the MBTA, and Maura Healey. Here are their answers,” by Ross Cristantiello and Susannah Sudborough, Boston.com.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Tax watchdogs vow lawsuit to uphold relief law,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “[T]axpayer advocates fired a shot across the bow Monday, announcing that if the state seeks to delay or change the 1986 law they have prepared a legal challenge to force officials to issue the required refunds. … The threat of a legal challenge was also included in a letter from tax advocacy groups — including the Goldwater Institute, Beacon Hill Institute and Massachusetts Fiscal Institute — to Auditor Suzanne Bump, whose office must certify how much money would be returned taxpayers under the so-called ‘Chapter 62F’ law.”

— “Bump dismisses claim of tax cap pressure on her office,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “State auditor Suzanne Bump on Monday strongly denied suggestions that she was under any pressure to delay calculating how much money should be returned to taxpayers under the tax cap passed by voters in 1986. … Bump was responding to a letter sent on Monday to her office by the New England Legal Foundation and the Goldwater Institute. The letter threatened a lawsuit if Bump fails to carry out her duties under the law to calculate how much money should be returned to taxpayers under the tax cap.”

— “Mass. Senate president and House speaker had a warm, collaborative relationship. An end-of-session surprise changed things,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “In March, the state’s most powerful legislative leaders appeared on a virtual panel and lauded each other for their cordial relationship and good communication. … Fast forward to the last week of the formal legislative session in July. The two leaders’ disparate views on an obscure law that could force the state to give back billions to taxpayers chilled that once-warm relationship and ultimately scuttled — at least for now — a $4.5 billion economic development bill, according to interviews with lawmakers and longtime lobbyists with direct knowledge of the conversations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “Mass. health leaders call for stepped-up COVID plans for fall and winter,” by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Globe: “At the briefing, hosted by the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity, a group of health care and community leaders advocating for more comprehensive COVID policies, public health experts said there were more weekly COVID cases and average weekly hospitalizations in Massachusetts for the period ending Aug. 18 than a year ago. Yet COVID precautions have fallen by the wayside.”

— “Massachusetts did not report excess deaths amid spring COVID wave: Brigham and Women’s researchers,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Throughout the pandemic, COVID waves have had corresponding waves of excess mortality — deaths that go above and beyond the expected number for that time of year. But in Massachusetts, where more than 80% of the population is fully vaccinated, researchers found that during the 18 weeks from Feb. 27 to June 26, there was no excess mortality in the state despite waves of COVID cases and hospitalizations.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston’s new mental health czar lays out his goals,” by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: “In June, Dr. Kevin Simon became Boston’s chief behavioral health officer — a role new to the city and possibly unique to Boston. Mayor Michelle Wu and Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, appointed Simon, a child psychiatrist with Boston Children’s Hospital, to develop a city-wide strategy to address behavioral health issues, especially among youth.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “‘Adapt and adjust.’ With grit and grumbles, commuters weathered the first Monday without the Orange Line,” by Danny McDonald and Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Greater Boston on Monday weathered the shutdown of the entire Orange Line with acceptance and grit as commuters rolled with large and small glitches that blurred, or blitzed, their daily routines. … The shutdown, along with the four-week closure of the Green Line between Government Center and Union Square stations, flooded Greater Boston streets with more than 170 shuttle buses. The extra buses, plus the likelihood that more people would drive to work, triggered concerns of brutal traffic congestion and general transit chaos this week. But the word from T brass on day 1 of the feared weekday commuter armageddon was: Not bad, all things considered.”

More headlines from the first major test of the Orange Line shutdown:

— CHARLIE ON THE MBTA: "Gov. Baker largely out of sight for first big commute of Orange Line shutdown," by Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB: "On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker took to the commuter rail to test that side of the alternatives and said he had an on-time commute."

— “ 'It’s a nuisance:' MBTA passengers adjust to commuting without the Orange Line,” by Jeremy Siegel and Gal Tziperman Lotan, GBH News.

— “Monday’s commute was light, MassDOT says it won’t last,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald.

— “Confusion in Somerville as Green Line, Orange Line close at the same time,” by Christina Hager, WBZ.

— “Here are some of the best memes about the Orange Line shutdown,” by Shannon Larson, Boston Globe.

— “What Led to MBTA's Decline? Weld Defends Against Criticism of Administration,” by Alison King, NBC10 Boston: “It's hard to imagine the MBTA of the 1980s as described by Fred Salvucci. ‘The service was really customer-oriented,’ said Salvucci, who served as secretary of transportation in both Dukakis administrations. ‘The infrastructure was in very good shape because we put a lot of money into rebuilding. It was in great shape.’ … So what happened? ‘What happened is the new governor,’ Salvucci said, referring to Michael Dukakis' successor, Bill Weld. ‘He zeroed out the investment program for the MBTA in the budget.’"

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THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP

— “Robyn Kennedy and Mayor Joe Petty debate ahead of Sept. 6 primary for First Worcester district State Senate seat,” by Tréa Lavery, MassLive: “With the primary vote two weeks away, Robyn Kennedy and Worcester Mayor Joe Petty faced off in a debate Monday night to reach voters in the First Worcester district. … Throughout the evening, Petty leaned on his experience and track record from his 11 years as mayor and previous time on City Council, frequently referring to the progress the city has made during that time. … In contrast, Kennedy, who recently resigned from her role as executive director of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts and previously worked in the office of then-Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, focused on how her experience would help her achieve her priorities.”

— “Elements of state seal in candidate's materials too small to matter, official says,” by Amanda Burke, Berkshire Eagle: “Alfred E. ‘Alf’ Barbalunga's campaign imagery does not appear to run afoul of state law. The issue of Barbalunga's use of elements of the Massachusetts state seal in some of his campaign materials was raised this month at a forum with Barbalunga and incumbent Berkshire County Sheriff Tom Bowler.”

— “Gloves Are Off in Democrat Primary for Bristol County Sheriff,” by Marcus Ferro, WBSM: “A commitment to remain civil during their debate last week on WBSM's SouthCoast Tonight was quickly jettisoned when Bristol County Sheriff candidates Nick Bernier and George McNeil filed a joint statement condemning their fellow Democratic candidate, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux, for a mailing commissioned by Heroux's campaign that hit tens of thousands of doors in the SouthCoast the day following the debate.”

— "Four-way race underway for J.P.-based 15th Suffolk," Anna Lamb, Bay State Banner: "The four running for the 15th include former City of Boston Director of Youth Homelessness Initiatives Roxanne Longoria, former Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation organizer Samantha Montaño, environmental lawyer MaryAnn Nelson and Northeastern graduate student Richard Fierro."

THE LOWELL CONNECTOR

— “UMass Lowell is blasted by free speech group for banning ‘offensive’ material online,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “A national free speech group is targeting UMass Lowell for its policy that bans students from sending or viewing ‘offensive’ material online, calling on the university to revise its internet rules. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is giving UMass Lowell its ‘red light’ rating, saying the university’s online policy restricts free speech.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— HOLY CROSS ALUM ALERT: "'Bittersweet': Fauci will leave government, excited for what comes next," by David Lim, Adam Cancryn, Lauren Gardner and Myah Ward, POLITICO: "Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert who in his effort to lead the response to Covid-19 became one of the most divisive public health figures in recent memory, announced he will step down later this year."

— “A new home for recently incarcerated transgender people,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The apartment looks like so many other Cambridge dwellings, occupying one floor of a slightly worn two-family house. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, living room, and small yard. But the furnishings give some inkling of the space’s unique purpose, as the first home in New England for formerly incarcerated transgender people who need a place to stay after their release from prison.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— “N.H. Republicans damage Senate chances in rough primary,” by Natalie Allison, POLITICO: “The New Hampshire primary on Sept. 13 is the last competitive race on the calendar. A few months ago, it was just one of a handful of toss-ups on the GOP map, ranked as leaning Democratic but potentially in play. But now, with GOP candidates in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin trailing their Democratic opponents, New Hampshire could provide Republicans a critical pickup — if their candidates don’t get in the way. … [R]ecent polling shows the frontrunner to be Don Bolduc, a candidate who lost a 2020 Senate primary and has since championed Donald Trump’s false election conspiracies and may have limited appeal to general election voters.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Sam Drysdale is joining State House News Service from the Enterprise newspapers on Cape Cod.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Springfield state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, Everett state Rep. Joe McGonagle, Joshua Ostroff, George Schadler, Dianne Bagley Smith, Shelley Long (the actress who played "Diane Chambers" in "Cheers"), Robert Solow and Yanisa Techagumthorn.

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