Crime & Safety
Worcester Paid Over $200K To Lawyer Who Opposed DOJ Probe: Report
The city of Worcester paid over $200K to a lawyer who publicly critiqued the DOJ's findings after an investigation into the WPD.
WORCESTER, MA - Worcester paid a law firm upwards of $200,000 for a lawyer who called the Department of Justice's (DOJ) conclusions in an investigation into alleged sexual abuse and excessive force by the Worcester Police Department "unfair, inaccurate and biased," according to MassLive.
Invoices obtained by MassLive showed that from February 2023 to December 2024 the city's law department made 20 payments to Nixon Peabody LLP. A former federal prosecutor who now works there, Brian T. Kelly, was hired by the city in connection to the investigation. Kelly critiqued the findings from the DOJ, including reports of illegal sex acts.
The spokesperson for City Manager Eric Batista, Tom Matthews, told MassLive on Friday that the payments go Nixon Peabody for Kelly's services, and that the city still has the firm on retainer. Kelly's statements drew ire from multiple Worcester councilors.
Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Read the full story at MassLive.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
