Baker Administration Retribution Allegations, Explained

BOSTON, MA — Allegations of not-so-veiled threats and abused power swirled around the State House this week, unverified but troubling nonetheless.

Here's the rundown of what's been alleged, how Gov. Charlie Baker responded and what all this means.

What's been said

A woman on staff at the state's energy and environment office was allegedly warned she could lose her job if her fiance, a Democratic Senate candidate, continued in his bid to unseat current Sen. Donald Humason, a Westfield Republican, The Boston Herald reported.

According to the paper, people appointed by Baker leaned on the candidate, J.D. Parker-O'Grady, to drop out of the race by harassing his fiance, warning her she could be transferred. Parker-O'Grady faces Humason in the Nov. 8 general election.

What happened next

Nothing, for awhile. That's, again, according to the Herald, which was none to happy with what it reported was a three-month delay in investigating these claims.

Baker told reporters his office was unaware of the claims up until 10 days ago, but has now called for an investigation into the retribution allegations with "oversight and input" from his office's legal staff, according to State House News Service.

What Baker said

As quoted by State House News Service, Baker told reporters the following on Thursday:

"The allegations are extremely troubling and we want to see what comes out of that investigation. And we expect it will be done soon and we will act accordingly. ... I have no use for that stuff. I really don't. I'm one of these guys who says all the time that I want people to engage in civic endeavors. I want people to serve on planning boards. There are people in our administration right now who are running for office, Republicans and Democrats in their spare time. It's a free country. They should be able to do that. I find these allegations unbelievably disturbing, but they are allegations at this point."

Why it matters

Aside from the fact that, if true, these allegations are "extremely disturbing," they also matter because they're the latest in a series of not-so-savory allegations and actions within Baker's administration.

It comes two weeks after two state officials' suspension without pay for using state resources to host a Fourth of July party. The same umbrella agency, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, also got the wrong kind of attention through another series of Herald reports on the many employees tied to the state's Republican Party, including Baker's former campaign driver, who now lead the state's environmental police.

The delay in dealing with the alleged threats over the Humason race could in and of itself could be damaging. Writes the Herald, it "prompt(ed) Democrats to try and ignite a bombshell that could puncture Baker's squeaky clean armor."

Baker is extraordinarily well-liked, but as more allegations pile up, and pile increasingly close to his office door, there's the possibility that reputation could suffer.

Another side-effect is the potential elevation of one of the state's few (very few) competitive races.

As reporter Matt Szafranski writes, "The faceoff between Humason and Parker-O'Grady is among the few competitive general election races in the Pioneer Valley, but it has not been a high-profile race. Despite its purplish hue balanced by the blood-red Hilltowns and indigo-blue Holyoke, the seat has not been competitive historically."

... until now?

Image via mass.gov