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The Red Sox play their final spring training game today before the MLB regular season begins Thursday. Coincidentally, if you donate to WBUR today for our spring fundraiser, you can get this WBUR baseball hat. Now, to the news: Into the darkness: The number of so-called dark money groups trying to influence elections and policy in Massachusetts is growing, according to a new WBUR investigation . Officially known as 501(c)(4)s, these nonprofit groups can raise unlimited money from undisclosed donors and use it to produce ads or donate it to other groups (though they cannot donate the money directly to candidates). One Commonwealth, a 501(c)(4) group launched by Gov. Maura Healey's allies in 2024 to support her housing agenda, raised $748,000 in its first year. The group declined to disclose its donors. WBUR's Patrick Madden was able to identify two of them anyway. - The donors: Peckham Industries, a New York road-paving firm, donated $10,000 to One Commonwealth in 2024. And as WBUR first reported in December, Boston-based sports betting giant DraftKings donated $50,000 last June.
- Why it matters: Campaign finance experts say the donations ring alarm bells about private interests secretly trying to curry favor with politicians. Even if the public doesn't know the identity of the group's donors, they say it's a good bet people on the inside do. “What does DraftKings care about housing? What does a paving company care about housing?" Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor at UMass Boston, told Patrick. Since Healey took office, a Peckham Industries subsidiary has won more than $25 million in MassDOT contracts — though it's worth noting the firm was the lowest bidder on all of them and there is no evidence the donations influenced the awards. Meanwhile, DraftKings has a major interest in sports betting proposals being considered on Beacon Hill.
- What they're saying: Peckham Industries CEO Damian Murphy told Patrick that they make donations to support issues important to their employees and their families. DraftKings, meanwhile, did not respond to requests for comment.
- Zoom out: One Commonwealth is just one of at least 10 dark money groups that have cropped up in Massachusetts since 2024. Others involved in local elections include a think tank that's fueled criticism of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and a group behind the proposed state ballot question this fall that would roll back recreational marijuana sales. Read Patrick's full investigation here.
On Beacon Hill: State Rep. Brad Jones, the longtime Republican minority leader in the Democrat-dominated House, announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection this fall. Jones first took office in 1995, and has held the leadership position since 2002. But the 61-year-old North Reading lifer said he's ready for his "next chapter." - The reaction: Members of both parties described Jones as a leader who tried to work with Democrats, who outnumber Republicans in 134 to 25 in the House. Speaker Ron Mariano called Jones "a thoughtful and pragmatic leader who preferred compromise over obstructionism." Meanwhile, Republican strategist Wendy Wakeman told WBUR's John Bender that Jones had " a very conciliatory pose" with which some members of his party had grown impatient.
- What's next: Wakeman thinks Republicans have a good chance of keeping Jones' seat: " Brad has had a lot of influence over how the district's lines have been redrawn." But when the GOP caucus elects a new House leader next January, she's hoping for someone who is more combative. "I think many Republicans are looking forward to seeing the next minority leader be somebody who's more willing to take up the fight in a very vocal way," Wakeman said.
In other local news: A 29-year-old Boston man was arraigned yesterday on over a dozen charges related to Friday's butcher knife-wielding incident at the Forest Hills MBTA station. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said that Hyde Park resident Micah Martin is facing 15 charges, including armed carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon and attempting to disarm a police officer. - What's next: A judge ordered that Martin — who reportedly pleaded not guilty — be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next Monday.
Party favors: The Healey administration is doling out $10 million to support local World Cup watch parties and other related events this summer. Healey's office says the money will support fan celebrations and watch parties in 25 different communities, from Greenfield and Easthampton to Lexington and Weymouth. P.S.— CitySpace is hosting the latest edition of our Curated Cuisine series tonight — and it's a spicy one. Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy, the women behind “The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook," will join Food & Folklore founder Tamika Francis for a discussion about the spices from India and Sri Lanka and their visit to see the farms that bring us those flavors. Audience members will also get to try a unique twist on milk and cookies from the cookbook after the conversation. Get tickets here. |
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| | | Nik DeCosta-Klipa Senior Editor, Newsletters | | |
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Though she's working again, Valentina Amaro Bowser's legal fight isn't over. She has asked the judge to address the larger issue of her application for legal permanent residency, which continues to languish on hold. "I know that a lot of people are going through the same, when your life completely goes to pause out of nowhere," she said. Read more. |
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The court heard arguments in a case from Mississippi that also could affect voters in 13 other states — including Massachusetts — and the District of Columbia, which have grace periods for ballots cast by mail. An additional 15 states with more forgiving deadlines for ballots from military and overseas voters also could be impacted. Read more. |
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The Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association went on strike Monday at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works after members voted to reject the shipyard’s proposed wage offer over the weekend. The strike arrived several weeks after a morale-boosting appearance in which U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touted the need to boost defense manufacturing. Read more. |
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The Oklahoma Republican comes to the helm in the midst of a shutdown that has left some 100,000 of the department's more than a quarter-million employees working without pay. Read more.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Sen. Paul confronts Sen. Mullin over violent rhetoric at his DHS confirmation hearing |
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New Hampshire activists are raising concerns about the use of Pease airport in Portsmouth as a refueling stop for charter deportation flights to Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Read more. |
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- A local nonprofit crossed Wu. Then its permit for a fund-raiser was denied. (The Boston Globe)
- Confronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated me (The Verge)
- It’s One of the Hottest Tables in America—and It’s a College Dining Hall (The Wall Street Journal)
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New England's largest opera company finally has a place to call home. It’s welcoming the public to its newly renovated performance and community studios in Fort Point with an intimate production of a work by Gustav Mahler. Read more. |
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