I received a town-wide mailer sent out last Thursday by School Board candidate Rob Tiro and the Massachusetts Republican State Committee.
In the mailing, Mr. Tiro was endorsed by : ” Gerard Leeman, Finance Committee Chairman.” ( He is also Chair of the Wakefield Republican Town Committee.)
I was surprised to see this because the Wakefield Finance Committee has long served an important role as an independent arbiter of our town’s finances.
The Massachusetts Code of Ethics Conflict of Interest law governing political activity of appointed officials is G.L.c 268A, Section 23 (b) (2) (ii), Advisory 11-1. It prohibits an appointed official from using their title while campaigning AND from endorsing a candidate.
I am disappointed that Finance Committee Chairman Leeman would use his title and position to endorse ANY candidate in a partisan way to give his candidate an eleventh hour unfair advantage over his opponents in tomorrow’s election.
More importantly, it undermines the independence and integrity of the Finance Committee just as it is preparing to advise voters at the May 4 Town Meeting on the municipal and school budgets.
( NOTE : I am campaign manager to School Committeewoman Janine Iengo Cook, the only progressive Democrat in the race. She is opposed by 2 conservative Republicans. I paid for an ad in the local paper calling out the Republicans on this. If you know anyone who lives in Wakefield could you ask them to vote for Cook tomorrow. Shamefully, turnout is expected to be under 10 %. )
Thanks all !
Fred Rich LaRiccia
I guess our other-winged folks will claim special status as an endangered species.
The state Republican Party apparently sees it as a good use of resources to promote school committee candidates. If he wins next thing you know he’ll be running in an actual partisan election like for State Rep. where he’ll already have a record as a vote-getter in a significant part of the district. I suspect the state Democratic Party is not officially supporting your candidate, but maybe that’s what we need to do – within the law of course.
the Republicans have become increasingly overt and loud in their efforts to manipulate every branch of municipal government for their party’s aim. They are organizing representative town meeting elections, for heaven’s sake.
…in the law for those in a policy making position, which I would say a Finance Comm. member would be. He is not an ’employee’ and this is not a partisan race which is the big no-no.
Personally, I was proud to introduce a school committee candidate at a recent kick-off. MANY of us work on municipal races.
that this is a violation of the ethics law:
Public employees are employees and volunteers of state, county, and municipal agencies, and they may not, if appointed, use a public title to endorse a candidate.