Report: U.S. attorney tried to influence race
WASHINGTON — The top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts tried to use her position to influence the outcome of a race for Boston’s district attorney by leaking information aimed at sabotaging the campaign of her preferred candidate’s rival, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog said in a report released Wednesday.
A separate investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found multiple violations by U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins of a law that limits political activity by government workers.
The findings were disclosed a day after Rollins’ lawyer told The Associated Press she would resign this week, saying she “understands that her presence has become a distraction.”
The inspector general’s 161-page report claims a broad array of misconduct by Rollins, who was praised by progressives for her approach to law enforcement when she was sworn into office in January 2022 after serving as district attorney for Suffolk County, which includes Boston.
It was the most scathing public condemnation in recent years of a U.S. attorney, a prestigious federal post that has occasionally served as a springboard to higher office, and detailed efforts to mislead Justice Department investigators during interviews.
The report said Rollins lied under oath to investigators by falsely claiming she was not the anonymous law enforcement source in a news article, before later admitting to it. In December, the inspector general’s office referred the allegation to the department for a possible prosecution for false statements, but officials declined prosecution, according to the report.
Special Counsel Henry Kerner, meanwhile, said in a letter to President Joe Biden that Rollins’ Hatch Act violations were among “most egregious transgressions” of the law that his agency had ever investigated.
The inspector general’s report accused Rollins of soliciting and accepting 30 free tickets to a Boston Celtics game for youth basketball players and accepting payment from a sports and entertainment agency for flights and a stay at a luxury resort.
Rollins also routinely used her personal cellphone for business, continued to accept contributions to her district attorney campaign account after becoming U.S. attorney and attended a political fundraiser featuring first lady Jill Biden, contrary to the advice Rollins was given and without proper Justice Department approval, the report said.
The watchdog said Rollins tried to meddle in last year’s race for Suffolk County district attorney by providing information to media suggesting then-acting District Attorney Kevin Hayden was under federal investigation. The report said the U.S. attorney also helped Hayden’s rival, Ricardo Arroyo, by “providing him campaign advice and direction and coordinating with Arroyo on activities to help his campaign.”
The inspector general’s investigation began last year after Sen. Tom Cotton. R-Ark., who had tried to block her confirmation, urged the watchdog to examine whether Rollins’ appearance at the fundraiser at a home in Andover, Massachusetts, violated the Hatch Act.