Hearing on bail fund tax status sought
Republicans question exemption for group paying people’s bail money
A group of Beacon Hill Republicans is calling for a hearing into the Massachusetts Bail Fund, questioning the group’s tax-exempt status as the left-wing organization springs people charged with increasingly serious crimes.
“The public needs to be aware about what the Mass. Bail Fund is doing,” Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Sutton Republican who was the lead author of the letter, told the Herald. “Tell us what the common good is here. What common good is there in freeing a rapist? That’s something that their leadership and board needs to answer.”
The letter calls for a review of the bail fund’s status as a tax-exempt nonprofit, and whether the fund is violating its articles of incorporation. The legislators cited a halfdozen instances in which the bail fund paid to put people accused of violent and sexual crimes back out on the street.
The fund, whose slogan is “free them all” and advocates against cash bail, began making headlines in August, after freeing Level 3 sex offender Shawn McClinton in July. McClinton, a twice-convicted rapist and behind bars on another rape charge, is accused of kidnapping and raping another woman in Boston after the fund let him out. The fund put up $15,000 to spring McClinton, and $30,000 for Tyler Jacquard, another already-convicted Level 3 sex offender.
“Mass Bail Fund has indi
“Tell us what the common good is here.”
RYAN FATTMAN
Republican state senator
cated no remorse for the harm it has caused and has even doubled down on its recent actions,” states the letter, which was signed by 12 Republican state legislators, including Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. “It has defiantly stated that it would continue to pay increasingly high amounts of bail without regard to the crimes suspects have been charged with or their criminal history — this obviously includes convicted rapists and sex offenders.”
The letter was addressed to state Sen. John Keenan, the chair of the Senate’s committee on post-audit and oversight, where the hearing would be held. Reached by phone on Thursday, the Quincy Democrat acknowledged receipt of the letter and said the committee is weighing whether to hold hearings. Keenan declined to comment further about the bail fund.
The organization didn’t respond to a request for comment on Thursday. The fund has been defiant in the face of the widespread negative media attention, doubling down on its mission. The fund has slammed the negative media coverage of its actions, vowing to continue to “post bail for people regardless of charge or court history.”
It bumped its cap on bail from $2,500 to $5,000 in July, and says it will pay higher bails when it can. Fattman said he wants to look into whether that shift from paying low bails for minor crimes to high bails for serious ones is a violation of the group’s articles of incorporation.
The fund has taken criticism from progressives including Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and Mayor Martin Walsh.