Tweet adds fuel to Parks Dept. fire

The state’s parks department — whose leaders were suspended for throwing a party using state resources at a top Republican official’s home — dipped back into political waters yesterday when it tweeted a link to an editorial backing the hotly debated ballot question on charter schools.

The nighttime tweet, sent shortly before 12:30 a.m. from the official @MassDCR account, may further fuel the controversy surrounding the Department of Conservation and Recreation and its parent agency, where staffers are under investigation after allegations of political retaliation.

State ethics rules warn against using public resources for political purposes.

The tweet, which has since been deleted, linked to an editorial in the Bay State Banner, which urges Bay Staters to vote “yes” on Question 2. If approved by voters on Nov. 8, the ballot question would lift the cap on charter schools by allowing up to 12 more schools or school expansions per year across the state.

“Melvin Miller of the @BayState Banner agrees: it’s time to #LiftTheCap for the sake of the kids,” the tweet read, followed by a link to the editorial.

Peter Lorenz, a DCR spokesman, said the tweet was “mistakenly sent” from the state account by a staffer who thought he was logged into his personal account.

He did not identify the staffer.