Statie scandals may roil Baker’s re-election bid
Multiple scandals in the state police have put Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration in a politically perilous position, just as the governor’s re-election campaign is gearing up.
The latest scandal — a state trooper suspended without pay for possibly writing racist posts on a website — prompted Baker to say whoever wrote the posts “should be fired.”
This comes on the heels of numerous other problems in the state police, including an investigation into a trooper for prior drug-dealing charges, the sudden retirement of top brass and the continued mess over the OUI case involving the daughter of a district court judge.
Baker appeared incensed after the latest furor to hit the state police ranks, an Internal Affairs probe into whether trooper Matthew Sheehan is responsible for writing racist and violent posts online.
Sheehan is also being investigated for firing his weapon during last weekend’s melee involving ATVs and wheelie-popping dirt bikes on Interstate 93. Sheehan’s shot may have hit one of the ATV riders in the foot.
Even before the most recent scandal hit, two top state police brass, Col. Richard McKeon and Lt. Col. Francis Hughes, suddenly retired in the midst of the “Troopergate” scandal involving the arrest report of the daughter of a well-known judge. Baker ordered a full investigation into whether a trooper was forced to alter his written report in the case.
Before the controversy over the online posts, another scandal surfaced in the ranks. Trooper Leigha Genduso was suspended from the payroll last week after it was revealed she admitted she had prior drug and money laundering charges before joining the force.
The disarray in the state police could become a potent issue in Baker’s reelection campaign, if his Democratic rivals try to exploit it.
Baker has modeled himself as a capable, fiscally prudent manager, but the police scandals have kept him on his heels lately.
“They are clearly a violation of the code of conduct,” Baker said of the offensive online posts discovered this week.
“This is an ongoing collection of thoughts and comments that have no place in law enforcement. No place in public discussion. No place in our community, period.”
The governor’s quick condemnation of the posts shows he wants to avoid any appearance of tolerating racism in the ranks.
Baker has also been a sharp critic of President Trump, especially when it comes to accusations of racism.
But going after state troopers also could come with a political price. The troopers’ union has been a powerful force in other elections, helping Mitt Romney in his governor’s race and endorsing George H.W. Bush in his 1988 presidential campaign against then-Gov. Michael Dukakis.
So Baker doesn’t want to go too far, and was quick to say that he believes “the vast majority of the men and women who serve in the state police uphold and honor ... that code of conduct.”