‘DEVASTATED’
Battenfeld: Rosenberg must answer for husband’s sexual assault allegations
This is way more than just a sex scandal.
The furor over sexual assault allegations against the husband of Senate President Stanley Rosenberg is about abuse of power at the highest levels of state govern- ment.
The state Senate needs to move swiftly to appoint a special prosecutor — not just an investigator — to go after potential corruption and criminal acts at the heart of this scandal.
And Rosenberg needs to answer questions about his role in the scandal, something he did not do at his brief appearance yesterday. He should surrender his presidency at the very least while the investigation is ongoing. Rosenberg’s initial statement on the scandal Thursday night was telling — saying that no Senate business was involved and claiming none of the abuse happened at the State House. His statement yesterday was a poor attempt to douse the fire.
“This has been the most difficult time in my political life, and in my personal life,” he said.
Sorry, but how the president has been personally affected is not the issue. Where the abuse happened is not the issue.
The issue is whether Rosenberg’s husband, Bryon Hefner, committed illegal assault and abused his powerful position, including controlling access to Rosenberg and possibly influencing legislation. One of the victims told The Boston Globe that what Hefner was doing was clear — seeking sexual favors in exchange for his help on Beacon Hill.
Rosenberg claimed Hefner never influenced Senate business, then the Senate president refused to answer questions, citing the pending investigation. That’s not enough. If Rosenberg is as clueless as he claims about his husband’s alleged abuse — some of which reportedly happened within feet of him — then how could he possibly know what Hefner was doing in his interactions with lobbyists, advocates and other legislators?
And putting your husband in alcohol rehab is a poor excuse, a tried and true way to try to shift blame.
There are so many unanswered questions left — including the identities of Hefner’s alleged victims — that it will be difficult for an investigator, such as a legal firm, to get to the bottom of the scandal.
And the public should not trust that the Senate will appoint a truly independent investigator.
That’s why Attorney General Maura Healey or some other law enforcement authority needs to step in and take charge of the investigation.
While the probe is on, Rosenberg is hardly in a position to continue his leadership of the Senate. It will be impossible for him to carry on with business as usual, and he should probably be getting a lawyer himself.