Right here’s Gov. Maura Healey’s dilemma.
She will be able to facet with the individuals who voted to open the books of the Legislature, or she will be able to facet with the State Home politicians who need to maintain them closed.
Which means she will be able to assist the two,282,333 voters who authorized the poll query in 2024 opening the books or come down on the facet of the 200 members of the Legislature, most of whom are against it.
She can not facet with each. Nor can she proceed to keep away from the problem, significantly in an election 12 months.
Whereas her assist of the need of the folks and transparency in authorities needs to be a no brainer, Healey should additionally appease Senate President Karen Spilka and Home Speaker Ron Mariano if she plans to proceed to have a working relationship with them.
Each Democrat leaders oppose the audit on the grounds that the Legislature is a separate physique of presidency that they declare audits itself.
Healey thus far has walked a tightrope on the problem. Whereas she mentioned she voted for the measure, the issue “is between the auditor and the Legislature.”
It was, nevertheless it isn’t anymore.
It’s once more rising as a sizzling challenge in 2026, simply because it was in 2024 when 72 % of the voters, in an period of transparency and accountability, voted to grant state Auditor Diana DiZoglio the authority to audit the Legislature.
Since then, the need of the folks has been stymied, first by the Democrat management within the Legislature and, extra importantly by Legal professional Normal Andrea Campbell.
Campbell, siding with the Legislature, has refused to symbolize DiZoglio to get the courts to compel the Legislature to conform.
The Legislature, in flip, has rewarded Campbell with vital will increase in her finances.
In a most up-to-date and strange improvement, DiZoglio is making an attempt an finish run round Campbell by petitioning the Supreme Judicial Courtroom to nominate an out of doors lawyer to symbolize her workplace in courtroom.
Campbell, DiZoglio mentioned, has “acted capriciously and scandalously.”
The lawyer DiZoglio desires appointed is well-known progressive lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan, who ran towards Campbell for lawyer normal within the three-way 2022 Democrat major.
The third candidate was Quentin Palfrey, a former unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor.
Campbell received that major in her marketing campaign to succeed Healey who was working for governor. However she did so solely after Healey, in an uncommon transfer, endorsed and campaigned for Campbell within the three-way race.
Healey, in an additional increase to Campbell, prevailed upon Palfrey to drop out of the first and endorse Campbell within the final week of the marketing campaign, which Palfrey did. Campbell received and later defeated Republican Jay McMahon within the election.
Hardly had she turn out to be governor than Healey appointed Palfrey to the newly created, $160,000 a 12 months place of director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure.
The underside line is that Campbell owes Healey. Campbell is Healey’s lawyer–and does her bidding. If Healey mentioned “Soar,” Campbell would ask, “How excessive?”
If Healey advised Campbell to symbolize DiZoglio and the voters, Campbell would symbolize DiZoglio and the voters.
However she has not. As a substitute, she is making an attempt to trip out the problem, preserve the established order, and hope the matter will go away.
Nevertheless it received’t go away. In actual fact, assist for the audit is rising.
Liss-Riordan, as an example, has already donated $3,500 to DiZoglio’s attraction marketing campaign to maintain the problem alive in a marketing campaign 12 months.
And three Republicans working for governor—Mike Minogue, Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve– will make Healey’s lack of management on the matter a serious challenge.
Minogue, a profitable businessman, has already provided to cowl the surface prices of DiZoglio’s attraction.
The ball is in Healey’s courtroom. She both speaks for the folks on the problem, or she speaks for the politicians. However she has to talk.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas could be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
