POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The opposition is coming from inside the State House

By Kelly Garrity Presented by  REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTION! TAX TALK — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu may have sold key business stakeholders on her revamped proposal to shift the city’s property tax burden, but she’s still facing hurdles on Beacon Hill. The mayor’s closely watched home rule petition looked poised to make it through the Legislature after Wu worked out an agreement with business leaders early this fall that earned approval from Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate. But after emerging from the Revenue Committee with a favorable report, the bill hit a snag before it could even make it through the House. Republican Rep. David DeCoste delayed its passage, doubting the presence of a quorum at the sparsely attended House session. It's a procedural tactic Republicans have repeatedly used to their advantage during informal sessions, where any one lawmaker can typically temporarily block a bill. Wu said in a statement it was “disappointing to see a procedural delay used on a local home-rule petition,” especially, she noted, “because the State Representatives from Boston already voted to support this measure and it’s their constituents who are facing the potential for a devastating tax hike that our consensus solution would address.” But DeCoste, who represents Norwell, Hanson, Rockland and Hanover, said he’s not alone in his opposition to the bill — and claimed that some of his Democratic colleagues, including legislators from Boston, aren’t thrilled with the bill. “There’s still a lot of quiet opposition to this, both in the House and the Senate,” DeCoste told Playbook. DeCoste’s main concern, he said, is that the shift will add more stress to the commercial property market that’s still feeling the effects of the pandemic — and that people outside the city, including in his district, will be impacted. The timing is key. Wu has said the city needs the bill passed before the end of the month to set the new property tax rates before sending out the adjusted tax bills early next year. With the Thanksgiving holiday likely to slow things down on Beacon Hill next week, it’s unclear if both chambers will pass the bill before that deadline — though the House is meeting again today and potentially could get things back on track. There’s also not much time left before the legislative session ends. If the proposal gets stuck in the Legislature through the end of the year, Wu will have to start over — during a mayoral election year. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Happy Friday! Here’s former Gov. Charlie Baker playing “start, bench, cut” with Thanksgiving dishes to get you in the early holiday spirit. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attend a White House dinner at 6:30 p.m. in D.C. Driscoll speaks at the Department of Children and Families National Adoption Day event at 9 a.m. in Brockton. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu delivers turkeys at the Villa de la Alegría at 1 p.m. in West Roxbury. THIS WEEKEND — MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. State Auditor Diana Dizoglio, former Secretary of Education Paul Reville and state Sen. Jason Lewis are on NBC10 Boston’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com   DATELINE BEACON HILL   A message from Johnson & Johnson: We’re restoring the true meaning of healthcare—Innovating more precise, less invasive surgery and improving recovery. See how we’re connecting the best of Health&Care for every patient and provider. Learn more.   — “Massachusetts to allow out-of-state nurses to work in the commonwealth,” by Marilyn Schairer, GBH News: “Massachusetts has taken a big step when it comes to addressing the nursing shortage in the state, but some people say it still won’t solve current staffing problems. On Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey signed the state’s economic development bill, which included a measure to join the Nurse Licensure Compact. The agreement allows nurses to practice in other NLC-participating states — in person or via telehealth — without having to obtain a new license for that location.” — “As Biden administration winds down, state’s $2.5 billion liability in misspent federal funds remains unclear,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “With just two months left in the Biden administration, it’s still not clear if Massachusetts will need to repay the federal government roughly $2.5 billion in erroneously disbursed federal relief funds.” — “Report recommends against sports betting kiosks,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “A private consultant hired by the state is recommending Massachusetts not authorize sports betting kiosks at bars, restaurants and other venues, citing a lack of revenue from the machines in other states and the societal impacts of expanded gambling. The report by the Spectrum Gaming Group, which was hired last year by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, concluded that ‘there is little to no economic upside for kiosk hosts and the Commonwealth itself while there is an increased risk of negative social impacts.’” FROM THE HUB   Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking development s—free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now .     — “Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson violated state campaign finance law, OCPF review finds,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson violated ‘multiple provisions’ of state campaign finance law, and agreed to pay $1,750 to the state to settle the matter, according to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance. The violations, which included her failure to report the lion’s share of more than $30,000 in campaign contributions in a timely fashion and receipt of individual contributions in excess of the $1,000 state limit, were discovered during a ‘routine analysis’ of the Anderson Committee’s campaign finance reports for the time period of November 2023 to September 2024, the OCPF’s top official wrote in a Nov. 14 letter." PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “More MBTA shutdowns expected in 2025,” by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “MBTA riders who slogged through this year’s shutdowns should brace themselves for more next year, though they’ll be more limited in scope and duration, according to transit officials. Phil Eng, the MBTA’s general manager, told members of the public transit agency’s oversight board that the focus on fixing tracks is paying off with better rush hour service on the various transit lines, and the MBTA will in 2025 turn more attention to fixing its signaling infrastructure on the Red and Orange lines. The signal work is slated to last into 2026.” DAY IN COURT   A message from Johnson & Johnson:   — “Public defender agency sues State Police for allegedly withholding internal affairs records,” by Dan Glaun, The Boston Globe: “ 'The public records that MSP failed to identify or provide pertained to the same prior misconduct which the prosecutor was required to disclose as exculpatory evidence — allegations that Trooper Rose was caught by his own body worn camera tampering with evidence to support false criminal charges,' the lawsuit says." — “SJC finds state housing office can’t require outside verification for families seeking emergency shelter,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “Amid a housing crunch and a migrant crisis in Massachusetts, the state’s highest court on Thursday removed an administrative hurdle for local homeless families seeking emergency shelter, finding a state housing agency could not require families to provide documents to verify their identities and relationships to one another at the start of the application process.” TRANSITION TIME IN — “Trump picks a different Florida loyalist for attorney general: Pam Bondi,” by Gary Fineout, Mia McCarthy and Erica Orden, POLITICO: “Donald Trump said he will nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his attorney general, hours after his first pick for the role, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration for the position. In selecting Bondi, Trump again chose a staunch loyalist who is seen as an overtly political operator. She defended Trump during his first impeachment in 2019 and appeared with him on the trail in the final days of the 2024 campaign. She is co-chair of the law and justice division at the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute, which has been likened to a Trump administration in waiting.” OUT — “Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration for Trump's AG,” by Olivia Beavers, POLITICO: “Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he is withdrawing his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's pick as attorney general, noting in a social media post that his nomination had become a distraction.” DATELINE D.C.   Don't just read headline s—guide your organization's next move. POLITICO Pro's comprehensive Data Analysis tracks power shifts in Congress, ballot measures, and committee turnovers, giving you the deep context behind every policy decision. Learn more about what POLITICO Pro can do for you .     — “Despite festive atmosphere, a question lingered: Will the Celtics be the last champion team to visit the White House?,” by Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe: “ The atmosphere Thursday was jovial. The amount of people who responded to their invitations forced the ceremony to be held outside on the South Lawn. And there were plenty of Massachusetts politicians, including Governor Maura Healey, who also attended the Celtics’ home win over Toronto, and Senator Ed Markey, who was draped in a Celtics scarf." NEW CAUCUS DROPPED — Rep. Jake Auchincloss is among the handful of members of congress forming a new, pro-housing caucus on Capitol Hill. Dubbed the “YIMBY” Caucus (the commonly used acronym for “Yes in my backyard”), the group will be co-chaired by Auchincloss and Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Marc Molinaro (R-NY), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.). “At all levels of government, Americans need permitting & land use reforms that unlock more housing production,” Auchincloss said in a statement announcing the new coalition Thursday. FROM THE 413 — “A Great Barrington man was out on bail for six months. Then ICE showed up,” by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “A town resident accused of raping a teen at a town park last year was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities last week before he had a chance to stand trial in Pittsfield. The Nov. 12 arrest of Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz, 21, is being criticized by the Committee for Public Counsel Services as an unusual, and ‘heavy-handed approach,’ and one that ‘erodes trust in the legal system and prioritizes enforcement over fairness, leaving everyone involved without answers.’” THE LOCAL ANGLE   A message from Johnson & Johnson: At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured; treatments are smarter and less invasive; and solutions are personal. We are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum, of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow. We combine our science and technology with our determination to create a powerful force for care… and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more.   IT'S TIME TO UNCLOAK REPUBLICAN LIES! ELON MUSK made inflammatory & false accusations... it is predictable that MASS GOP Amy Carnevale piled on with more hysteria & LIES:   excerpt:  Wu cited Boston's Trust Act, implemented in 2014, which bars local police from holding immigrants for possible deportation unless a criminal warrant has been issued for that person’s arrest. “Either she helps us, or she gets the hell out of the way, because we’re going to do it,” Homan told the conservative news outlet Newsmax this week. (WARPED NEWSMAX - the only place to air his disinformation!) The Chair of the Massachusetts Republican party, Amy Carnevale, called the comments by Healey and Wu "appalling and disgusting." "When our state's top leaders go on television to proclaim that Massachusetts will protect illegal immigrants and refuse to cooperate with ICE, they send a dangerous message that invites more of this behavior into our communities," Carnevale said in an emailed statement. "It's time for Democrats to put politics aside and work with federal authorities to end this alarming pattern in Massachusetts." It's time for REPUBLICANS to STOP THEIR LIES! — “Elon Musk attacks Mass. policies after migrant arrests,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “State and national leaders are taking aim at some Massachusetts officials amid the roiling debate over immigration and potential mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump. Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who's been tapped to help the incoming administration, posted Wednesday on his social media platform X about the arrests of three unauthorized migrants in Massachusetts who were convicted or charged with sex crimes against children.” — “Tensions boil over as Worcester board grills developer over Polar Park project delays,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The rift between the city's redevelopment authority and the developer working on several projects in the area of Polar Park was out in the open during a Thursday morning meeting. … The discussion came after Madison Properties notified the city in an October letter that it would terminate its tax increment financing agreement on the Left Field Building, a proposed mixed-use space next to the ballpark at 50 Washington St., ending targeted tax payments that were higher than what the property was assessed at.” — “Remaining ARPA funds help pay down school deficit,” by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune: “The town is making headway in chipping away at a $2.8 million school deficit. The Select Board voted Monday to use the town’s remaining American Rescue Plant Act funds, $750,000, which combined with other planned measures, should bring the school deficit down to about $600,000. In total, North Andover will spend an estimated $65 million on schools this year.” — “New Bedford mayor, council at odds over $11M in cuts to city budget: 'Figure out a way',” by Frank Mulligan, South Coast Today: “An apparent budget battle is being waged between the City Council and city officials over how much money is needed to pay New Bedford's bills. The battle was joined after the council approved more than $11 million in cuts to Mayor Jon Mitchell's proposed $536 million proposed budget in June. Mitchell called the council cuts ‘predictably arbitrary.’ He said his administration would ‘review each budget cut and make course corrections as needed.’” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AYOTTE STAFFS UP — New Hampshire Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte has tapped Hillsborough County Sheriff Christopher Connelly to serve as her chief of staff and John Corbett , who consulted on her campaign, as a senior adviser, per WMUR . HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — John Chartier of McKinsey & Company, John Connaughton of Bain Capital, Russell Low of Axcelis Technologies and Valery Panier of Boston Consulting Group have joined Massachusetts High Technology Counci’s board of directors. SPOTTED — at Abundant Housing Massachusetts’ annual celebration: state Reps. Sam Montaño and Jim Arciero, Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Cambridge City Councilor Burhan Azeem, Joseph Gravellese of Heading Home, Hyphenated Strategies’ Katie Prisco-Buxbaum and TransitMatters Executive Director Jarred Johnson. REBRAND — The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (Downtown Boston BID) is now the Downtown Boston Alliance . HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Lauren Goldman Moran, chief of the MassAGO’s fair labor division, and her twin sister Michelle Goldman, assistant clerk magistrate at Middlesex Superior Court. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Keith Boynton, Tory Stephens, Joel McAuliffe and Matt Stromski, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Sonia Ballard and Mass DPH’s Alison Cohen. 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 .   Follow us on Twitter Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

 

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

Gaetz Out

Joyce Vance Nov 22

Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his name from consideration as the next Attorney General of the United States today, had previously resigned from the House of Representatives. At the time, he claimed it was to facilitate the confirmation process, but of course, we knew immediately that it was to prevent the release of a bipartisan House Ethics Committee report on allegations he had used illegal drugs and had sex with a minor.

Gaetz was completely on brand, lying about momentum as Republican senators abandoned him and claiming his nomination was being treated “unfairly.” Cue the claims in another week that he was the victim of a Democratic witch hunt, but we know the truth. Gaetz, completely unqualified and credibly accused of the same kind of conduct the Justice Department prosecutes, was rejected by members of his own party. Even they couldn’t stomach Gaetz in the role of the Attorney General.

What’s up next for Gaetz? He was reelected to the House and could return in January. He said he didn’t intend to return when he resigned, but that seemed to be conditioned on the AG position, and, in any event, consistency has never been a virtue for Gaetz. But that would mean that release of the ethics report would become a live issue again. Maybe Gaetz brazens it out, or perhaps Trump finds a post for him that doesn’t require Senate confirmation. It would be great to think we’ve seen the last of him, but that would probably be premature.

What motivated senators to finally break with Trump? Likely a sense of self-preservation. As you’ll recall, Trump started this whole debacle with a demand that Republican senators permit him to bypass their confirmation vote and go out of session, so he could secure his cabinet via recess appointments. In essence, Trump wanted to cut the legislative branch of government out of its constitutional role in governing. As we discussed, doing that would have meant senators were bending the knee, and once you start down that path with Trump it doesn’t stop. Ultimately their opposition to this nominee may have been less about who he was and more about politicians who have caved to Trump at virtually every pass trying to retain a modicum of their power (their dignity is long gone).

We’ll find out as they consider the nominations of alleged rapist Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense (he firmly denies it), anti-science and public health RFK Jr. for HHS, and Tulsi Gabbard, who is frequently described as being Russia-friendly, for Director of National Intelligence. None of them would be confirmed by a Senate acting rationally in the nation’s best interests, but then that Senate would have also convicted Trump on impeachment charges after January 6. So before we get carried away and view the rejection of Gaetz as hopeful news about incoming Senate leadership, let’s see how they handle the remaining noms.

One other nomination may be in danger too. I haven’t seen this confirmed yet; by the time you read the newsletter, it probably will be one way or the other, but there were social media posts claiming Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education, Linda McMahon, lied about having a college degree in education when seeking a position on the Connection Board of Education. She reportedly resigned a day before she was going to be exposed in the press. If this is true, it’s disqualifying and will be yet another test for the Senate.

As for Gaetz, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His daddy is a prominent Florida politician and real estate investor, and Gaetz had an easy walk into politics. Donald Trump, who capitulated to Senate opposition to Gaetz this morning although he’d been reportedly working the phones for him, still thinks Gaetz has a “wonderful future” ahead of him.

By early evening though, Trump had already made a new pick. That suggests he didn’t really put a lot of time into vetting former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who held that office from 2011 to 2019, before going on to positions important to her nomination like defense counsel for Trump during his second Senate impeachment trial. Trump more than likely already knew everything he needed to know to select her.

Bondi has experience as a prosecutor and with running a large office. And she gets high marks from Florida lawyers who’ve worked with her for surrounding herself with very smart people. But Bondi is a 2020 election denier with a long track record—that should be an absolute disqualifier. How can Bondi say she’ll uphold the oath of office that attorneys general take? Election denialism may be an article of faith for Trump supporters, but it should be a death knell for any nomination to be attorney general of the United States.

She has a long history of being aligned with Donald Trump. There were allegations in 2016 that she took improper political donations from Trump’s charitable organization. The gist of the story involved what some characterized as a bribe to get her to drop the investigation into Trump University while she was Florida’s AG. At the time, a spokesperson for Bondi denied “that a $25,000 donation from Donald Trump is in any way connected to her office’s decision not to pursue action against Trump University, despite dozens of complaints in Florida.”

Most recently, she’s been running the legal arm of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute. That’s the entity that sued the Fulton County, Georgia, Board of Elections earlier this year for a member of that board who wanted to have the right to refuse to certify an election based on a personal suspicion fraud had taken place. The courts rejected the lawsuit, but Bondi’s loyalty to Trump and willingness to ensure the outcome of the 2024 election have never been in doubt.

Bondi looks out into a crowd of Trump supporters, sees a man holding a “lock her up” sign and says to the crowd, “Stay with me. Lock her up, I love that!”

Bondi isn’t Gaetz. Gaetz was completely unqualified to be the Attorney General of the United States. It wasn’t a close call; it wasn’t a normal nomination. Bondi looks more “normal” on the surface, and she has the kind of experience you look for for a position like this. But even if she can competently handle 98% of the Department’s work—the national security cases, violent crime, drugs, sex trafficking, white collar cases, and so on—it’s the 2% that we have to be worried about. She accepted Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 election even though her experience suggests she knows it wasn’t true. What happens when Trump asks her to engage in revenge prosecutions? Will she have the grit to say no? As someone who doesn’t come from DOJ, will she understand the importance of independence, or might she permit Trump to have direct contact and influence over criminal cases?

That’s what this nomination is about: is Trump going to get an attorney general who is willing to sully the Department’s independence and let it become a political tool for the White House, or will the Senate draw the line?

Bondi may not be Gaetz, but she is also not her Florida predecessor as the federal attorney general, Janet Reno, an experienced state AG who was beloved in her role at the Department and known for being ethically upright. She knew how to keep her distance from the Clinton White House, even investigating it and appointing a then-unprecedented number of special counsels.

A friend texted me this photo with the message, “I found Pam’s resume. Oh wait, it’s her Instagram. My bad.” I have been trying so hard to avoid sliding into snark, but this collage certainly reflects Bondi’s application to be Donald Trump’s Attorney General.

A friend in Florida gave Bondi props for surrounding herself with smart people, but said they were afraid she will try to appease Trump. That’s a big concern to me, too. If Trump demands it, will Bondi agree to conduct revenge prosecutions and go after people Trump thinks are his enemies? Will she be willing to target the press or others who have run afoul of Trump? If so, it doesn’t matter how experienced she is. Democratic senators will have to extract a commitment from her to reject White House interference in the work of the Justice Department, but it seems unlikely that they will get it. The best we can say tonight about Bondi is that she’s marginally better than the alternative.

At least we’ve now got a floor on what it takes to be Trump’s attorney general. You can’t be completely unqualified and credibly accused of using illegal drugs and having sex with a minor. So, I guess that’s something.

We’re in this together,

Joyce