| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY | Presented by McDonald's | With help from Jasper Goodman CRYPTO ENTERS THE SENATE RACE CHAT — A cryptocurrency advocate and attorney is likely to challenge Sen. Elizabeth Warren, giving Republicans a standard-bearer against the prominent progressive and the digital-assets industry a conduit through which to take on Congress’ chief crypto critic. John Deaton is prepared to seed his campaign with $500,000 should he run, a person familiar with his plans told Playbook. Deaton is a virtual unknown in Massachusetts political circles. But he comes onto the scene with a hardscrabble backstory and a crypto fanbase. A former U.S. Marine who hails from a Detroit enclave, Deaton overcame an impoverished childhood to graduate law school. He started his own firm in Rhode Island representing asbestos victims. He is the father of three daughters, a cancer survivor and the author of a memoir, “Food Stamp Warrior." The Boston Globe first reported his interest in the race. He telegraphed a potential run against Warren last year, writing in a post on X last October that his “biggest regret” at that moment was not buying a house he had looked at in Massachusetts instead of his residence in Barrington, Rhode Island. “Had I bought the Massachusetts house, I would [100 percent] run against this [gaslighting], self serving, hypocrite,” he wrote in response to an article about Warren expressing concerns about Hamas raising money through crypto before attacking Israel on Oct. 7. Deaton now lives in Swansea , according to Jim Conroy, a political adviser to former GOP Gov. Charlie Baker who is consulting with Deaton on his possible campaign. He would run as a Republican, Conroy said. He would be a longshot against Warren , who remains popular in this state — roughly 54 percent of respondents to a recent Suffolk University survey approved of her job performance, compared to 35 percent who disapproved. She's also a formidable fundraiser who started the election year with $3.9 million in the bank. But Republicans hope Warren , who finished third in her home state’s 2020 presidential primary and has seen lower approval ratings in other polls, is weaker than she seems. And she could face a flood of crypto money if Deaton gets in . While Conroy said Deaton wouldn’t be basing his candidacy around his cryptocurrency advocacy, he already has a track record of criticizing Warren’s views on digital assets and could win the backing of an industry that is trying to fight Warren in Washington over her proposals to subject it to tougher anti-money-laundering rules. The industry is also ramping up an aggressive effort to influence the 2024 elections. A crypto-backed super PAC that has more than $80 million in the bank placed a multimillion-dollar ad buy this week attacking Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a Warren protégé, in California’s U.S. Senate primary. Deaton’s crypto cred could also help attract support — and money — from corners of the GOP aligned with the digital asset industry. In Ohio, a pro-crypto challenger to Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, another industry critic, was endorsed by the conservative Club for Growth in part thanks to his stance on digital assets and blockchain. A spokesperson for Warren said the state's senior senator is “taking nothing for granted” and “has a strong track record of delivering for working families and continues to fight hard for the people of Massachusetts.” GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Thinking about running for office? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com . TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey attends a child care event at 9:30 a.m. at Roots Learning Center in Westfield and a state police graduation ceremony at 11 a.m. in Springfield. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu holds a press conference on the city’s Life Sciences Workforce Initiative at 10:30 a.m. at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and speaks at the city’s Lunar New Year celebration at noon at City Hall. Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton are on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. to talk about biotech and China.
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| | A message from McDonald's: From 2021 to 2022, the McDonald’s System contributed over $700 million to Massachusetts’ economy, supporting over 14,350 jobs statewide. McDonald’s presence in local communities throughout Massachusetts generated nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, providing funding for public schools, infrastructure, parks and more. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma . | | | |  | AT THE BALLOT BOX |
| NO-GO ZONE — Milton residents on Wednesday rejected a state-mandated zoning plan for more multifamily housing in a resounding rebuke of Gov. Maura Healey ’s efforts to enforce the state’s MBTA Communities Act . The “no” side pulled in about 54 percent of the vote, according to unofficial tallies — a result that drew threats of retaliation from the Healey administration and the attorney general. Healey had used her official bully pulpit and her political arm to pressure Milton residents into supporting the rezoning plan that had cleared Town Meeting last year only to be put up for a town-wide vote after opponents forced a referendum on it. The governor called the vote “disappointing” in a statement through her campaign. But, she said “we will continue to make the case for every community to embrace the opportunity that comes with creating more housing and making it more affordable for all.” Her housing secretary, Ed Augustus , was quick to spell out the consequences of the vote. He declared the town “non-compliant” with the MBTA Communities law in a statement and said Milton “will begin losing out on significant grant funding from the state.” Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued a similar warning . “My office has made it clear that compliance with the law is mandatory,” Campbell said in a statement. “When a municipality elects to evade its responsibility to comply with the law, we will meet our responsibility to enforce the law.” Still, Denny Swenson, a leader of the “No” campaign, cheered voters for being willing to take a stand against the state in an interview with The Boston Globe .
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| SENATE PAY BUMP — The Senate is raising staffers’ pay, adding new job classifications to expand the career ladder for employees and introducing new benefits. The plans unveiled in a closed-door joint caucus on Wednesday build on the compensation changes the Senate rolled out in 2022 amid a unionization push by staffers, which included 10 percent raises and a new pay structure. Staffers’ new pay will be reflected in their paychecks starting March 29. New benefits include stipends for some non-English speakers and pay reevaluations for staff who earn master’s degrees and other certifications.
THIS MATTERS! “There’s a lot of turnover in staff. And the value of having staff that have served for many years is immeasurable in developing policy and legislation,” Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues said. Senators insisted the changes had nothing to do with staffers’ ongoing unionization effort and were instead the culmination of Senate President Karen Spilka ’s multi-year effort with the National Conference of State Legislatures to bring more pay equity to the upper chamber. Spilka has refused to recognize the staffers’ union, and legislation that would grant legislative employees collective bargaining rights received an extension until July. Dive deeper with The Boston Globe . HEALEY TAKES AIM AT AI — Healey signed an executive order to create a task force to study artificial intelligence and its impact on the state, private businesses and higher education. She’ll ask lawmakers for $100 million as part of her economic development bill to create an Applied AI Hub here. SPECIAL REQUEST — The MassGOP is prodding House Speaker Ron Mariano to call a special election for the state House seat Josh Cutler vacated to join the Healey administration. — “'Frustrated' Healey, health officials keeping their eyes on Steward hospitals,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News. — “Frederick Douglass bust breaks color barrier at Mass. State House,” by NBC10 Boston.
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| | A message from McDonald's: 
| | | | | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS |
| FOLLOW THE MONEY — The United Way of Massachusetts Bay has spent nearly $3 million of the $5 million the Healey administration gave the nonprofit to dole out to religious and community groups to stand up temporary overflow shelter sites for migrant and homeless families. Eight sites have been set up accommodating a total of 97 families per night. For “security and privacy reasons,” the United Way isn’t providing the locations, spokesperson Brigid Boyd said. But Catholic Charities has been operating a shelter for up to 30 families at a time in Newton since November, the mayor said this week . There are three sites in Worcester County and one in Hampden County as well.
| | FROM THE HUB |
| CEASE-FIRE NOT NOW — Boston City Councilor Ben Weber proposed and then pulled a resolution calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas before it could reach a vote at Wednesday's council meeting, citing the “division” it was likely to cause within a body that’s still recovering from a tense prior term. “I wanted to bring a resolution that could show people in the community that the City Council could come together and reaffirm [its] humanity,” Weber told Playbook after the meeting. “It did not appear that I had the consensus that I had hoped. And so rather than put up something that was going to create more division, not less, I decided to withdraw [it].” The District 6 councilor, who is Jewish, said he might try again. “If there's something that I can file that will accomplish the goals of calling for a cease-fire, of calling for hostages to be returned, for resumption of humanitarian aid, and to allow Palestinians who want to leave Gaza … I will file it,” he said. WORD AROUND THE OFFICE — Boston is likely to face a cumulative revenue shortfall of more than $1 billion over the next five years as office buildings sit vacant or decline in value — a problem for a city that’s increasingly been relying on property taxes to pad its budget, according to a new analysis out today from the Boston Policy Institute and the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts. — “Boston City Council punts congestion pricing discussion to future hearing,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.
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| IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, INCARCERATE
KEEP AMERICANS SAFE FROM DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!
ANOTHER ONE — Federal authorities arrested and charged Thomas Method of Framingham in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Method admitted to an FBI agent he “was there” on the day of the attack, according to an affidavit, and recorded a video the day before expressing hope “this movement” could convince senators to “overthrow” the 2020 election results. The FBI says it has now arrested three dozen people across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island in connection to the Capitol riot.
| | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| SPEAKING OF WARREN AND CRYPTO — “Elizabeth Warren wins crypto recusals from Biden pick,” by Zachary Warmbrodt, POLITICO: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren just scored a new victory in her battle with the cryptocurrency lobby. Former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who once led House Democrats’ campaign arm, has told Warren that he plans to give up work on crypto issues if confirmed as President Joe Biden’s ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development." RALLYING FOR RAFAH — Dozens of protesters staged a "die in" on the floor of South Station on Wednesday to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. “Hands off Rafah,” the group chanted in reference to the southern Gaza city Palestinians fled to that now faces the threat of an Israeli ground invasion. Protesters also called out Warren and Sen. Ed Markey for voting for a $95 billion foreign aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel.
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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NAZI IN WORCESTER!
— “[Worcester City Council] meetings disrupted by antisemitic group trying to gain a foothold in New England,” by Phillip Martin, GBH News.
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| | A message from McDonald's: McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of Massachusetts, contributing over $700 million to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 11,600 Massachusettsans and supporting an additional 2,750 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 4 independent McDonald’s operators in Massachusetts began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to support Massachusetts through public schools, parks and more from the nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $700,000 raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 7,000 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in Massachusetts. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma . | | | | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Law 360’s Chris Villani. Happy belated to at-large Springfield City Councilor Jose Delgado , who celebrated Wednesday. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com . | |
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