News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: LELLING talks politics — DIEHL jumps in GUV RACE — MassGOP pushes VOTER ID

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: LELLING talks politics — DIEHL jumps in GUV RACE — MassGOP pushes VOTER ID — JANEY'S 100 Days

Jul 06, 2021

LELLING'S POLITICAL PLUNGE — Former Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling's got a new gig — political commentary.

The former federal prosecutor who attracted national attention for busting open a major college admissions scandal had been keeping a low public profile since heading to law firm Jones Day after the presidential transition — until he filled in as the Republican analyst on WCVB's "On the Record" Sunday.

Lelling cautioned me not to read too much into his political foray. "I don't have any immediate plans to run for anything," Lelling told me in an interview, though he's not ruling it out down the line. The commentator stint was just that: "When I was U.S. attorney I enjoyed doing media appearances, but you're extremely limited in what you can say because there are rules you have to follow. Once you're out of the job, you're free to comment on what you want."

A Donald Trump appointee who considers himself a conservative Republican, Lelling thinks the former president's hold over the national GOP is "somewhat exaggerated" and that state Republicans should focus less on infighting and more on building their bench. He wouldn't say who he thinks should succeed him as U.S. attorney, but believes all three finalists — Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, and Jennifer Serafyn and Deepika Bains Shukla of the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office — "would be excellent in the job." Here's more from our chat, edited for length:

You went big on immigration, public corruption, the opioid crisis — what should the mandate of the office be for your successor?

My answer to that is going to sound like the standard Republican answer to that question but it happens to fit what are rapidly emerging as the biggest problems right now — the opioid epidemic, which no one talks about but which is worse now than ever, and violent crime.

What are your thoughts on the state's 2022 political landscape?

[GOP Gov. Charlie Baker] did a fantastic job with the Covid-19 pandemic. … I think in 2022, barring major surprises, if he wants another term he'll get it. Having had some experience on a smaller level with a high-profile government job, it's exhausting, and so once you've done that for two terms, it's going to be an interesting conversation about whether you do it for another. I could really see it either way.

What do you think of the current drama roiling the state GOP?

As the political polarization increases, it gives you fewer and fewer viable Republican candidates and it gives you fewer and fewer non-Republicans who are willing to cross party lines. … If you are the state GOP and you want to win statewide, you need to focus all your energy on cultivating the kind of moderate Republican that will appeal broadly enough to win. ... There are not a lot of moderate Republicans with statewide name recognition in Massachusetts: Baker's one, I'm one, [Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's one]. But how many others can you really name? Its not that deep a bench for the statewide races.

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Speaking of statewide races, Geoff Diehl is running for governor.

The Republican former state representative who launched a failed bid against Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2018 announced his campaign for the corner office during a Western MA GOP Patriots event Sunday.

Baker has yet to announce his intentions for 2022. But Diehl set the stage for a primary clash, skewering the Baker-supported Transportation Climate Initiative and the governor's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in a campaign press release, though Baker wasn't mentioned by name.

Baker allies have been dismissive of Diehl, a Trump supporter who's lost both state and federal races. But Diehl is being backed by allies of conservative state party Chair Jim Lyons — including Diehl's campaign manager, GOP state committeewoman Amanda Orlando, and treasurer, Desiree Awiszio — meaning the Republican primary, if it materializes, could stand as the ultimate test of which warring faction holds more sway with the broader electorate and chart the course of the state GOP for years to come.

Baker's fundraising finally picked up in June, following months of dwindling returns. The governor raked in $90,855 last month as he resumed in-person fundraisers, a big boost from the $3,433 he raised in May, according to state Office of Campaign and Political Finance reports. Polito again out-paced Baker with a $156,881 haul, but that's likely just strategy — the two can share campaign funds if they both run again, but if Baker decides against running, his coffers are off-limits to Polito.

On the Democratic side, former state Sen. Ben Downing raised $39,408, Harvard professor Danielle Allen raised $102,873 and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz raised $33,363. Chang-Díaz's campaign said that number does not reflect the $53,000 she raised in the opening week of her gubernatorial campaign due to reporting delays.

TODAY — Rep. Jake Auchincloss hosts community office hours at 2:30 p.m. at Morin's Diner in Attleboro and visits the Plainville Critical Water Needs Community Project Funding Site. State Treasurer Deb Goldberg discusses the state's finances, the "VaxMillions" lottery program and the prospects for online lottery on Bloomberg Baystate Business in the 4 p.m. hour. The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting hosts a virtual hearing for residents of the 6th Congressional District at 6 p.m.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com.

SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Months later, Beacon Hill has no agreement on contested transparency rules," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "Six months into their legislative session, Massachusetts lawmakers have yet to agree on transparency protocols for their own work, adding to growing frustration among advocates who say Beacon Hill uses secrecy to shut constituents out of the legislative process."

– "Lawmakers promise 'transparency' in spending relief funds," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Salem News: "As they gear up to spend nearly $5.3 billion in pandemic relief funding, Democratic legislative leaders are vowing to make the process of spending the windfall 'open and transparent.' But Beacon Hill watchers note the Legislature's record for spending is anything but open and transparent, earning it a reputation for secrecy."

– "Legislators Push To Reopen Walden Pond To Open Water Swimmers," by Paul Singer, GBH News: "State legislators and swimming enthusiasts are pushing back against a ban on open water swimming at Walden Pond, announced Friday as part of a statewide water safety campaign. In the wake of a series of recent drownings, Gov. Charlie Baker announced legislation to increase fines for swimming in areas designated as off limits by the state. Heading into the holiday weekend, the Department of Conservation and Recreation on Friday issued a statement saying open water swimming is now banned at Walden Pond, and swimmers must stay within a roped-in area. But open water swimmers in the state say that has nothing to do with safety, and could actually make swimming more dangerous because distance swimmers will have to go to the ocean or other, more crowded lakes."

– "Untested rape kits in Massachusetts: Advocates worry budget proposal will leave 6,300 kits untested, but state senator says aim is to test all," by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "Advocates are worried that thousands of previously untested rape kits in Massachusetts could remain untested if an amendment to the Senate's fiscal 2022 budget is adopted. The Joyful Heart Foundation, which works to eliminate the rape kit backlog nationwide, has said it fears that language in a budget amendment sponsored by state Sen. Michael Moore could leave 6,300 rape kits — which were previously submitted to labs by law enforcement but were not tested — still sitting on evidence shelves. Moore, however, says he crafted language for the amendment with those 6,300 kits in mind..."

– "Rhode Island lawmakers recess without adopting TCI, leaving just Mass. and Washington, D.C.," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker's hope to establish a regional Transportation Climate Initiative has waned further as Rhode Island lawmakers recessed for the summer without entering the agreement."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Kim Janey: Continue to wear masks, especially indoors," by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey on Saturday said people should continue to wear masks, especially in public indoor settings, as a new coronavirus threat prompted Los Angeles County health officials to ask people to resume wearing face coverings."

FROM THE HUB

– "Janey's address a part celebration, part state of the city, part campaign rally," by Milton J. Valencia and Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The event featured all the pomp and circumstance of an inauguration address. Acting Mayor Kim Janey gathered at the Museum of African American History before dozens of supporters Friday to mark her first 100 days on the job, in a theatric ceremony that included an introductory poem and song and a video highlighting her work so far. It was a city-sanctioned event. It could have also passed for a campaign rally."

– More from the Boston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter: "Janey used the event to hold up her 'transition report,' both figuratively in her speech and also literally as she brandished a glossy copy at the lectern. The document, dated April 15 — a bit more than a week after she announced her run for mayor — featured a collection of 'recommendations' for her first 100 days and for the year in general. The transition report, her office said, was put together by volunteers and not commissioned by the campaign, even though, as the Herald reported a few months ago, the transition website was raising money for Janey's political operation and now reroutes to the campaign site."

– "Mass. Attorney General Clears Ballot Question To Give Boston Council More Budget Power," by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "The Attorney General's office on Friday cleared a ballot question that, if approved by voters this November, would shift the balance of power in Boston's budget process by giving the council the authority to amend a mayor's budget 'in whole, or in part,' and override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds vote."

– "Kim Janey's Boston City Hall press room has largely emptied out," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The City Hall press room under Acting Mayor Kim Janey has whittled down from six staffers at one point last year to now just two, as Janey has remained without a press secretary during a busy couple of months in Boston. After yet another departure this week, the press office consists of communications chief Stephanie Garrett-Stearns and one press assistant."

– "After record-breaking heat, more than half of the Boston schools used for summer learning do not have air conditioning," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "After the hottest June in Boston history, the school district will reopen multiple schools for summer learning Tuesday without air conditioning to cool the students seeking to catch up after a year of mostly remote learning. Only 29 of the 63 buildings have air conditioning, leaving the rest to resort to other methods to keep classrooms cool, including turning off overhead lights, opening windows, and using fans and blinds."

– "Amazon's Black business accelerator comes to Boston, with little outreach," by Hannah Green, Boston Business Journal: "When Amazon launched its Black Business Accelerator this month, [Colette] Phillips thought Amazon might reach out to collaborate on recruiting local businesses. But neither Phillips nor other Black business advocates have heard from the e-commerce giant, and even while they think the idea is sound, not connecting with local businesspeople is a mistake on Amazon's part, they say."

FEELING '22

– "OTR: Massachusetts Sen. Diana DiZoglio shares why she is running for State Auditor," by Ed Harding and Janet Wu, WCVB: "State Sen. Diana DiZoglio explains how her experience with sexual harassment on Beacon Hill has fueled her campaign."

– "Fundraising by Chris Dempsey, Diana DiZoglio heats up state auditor's race," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "State Sen. Diana DiZoglio may be the only declared candidate in the race to succeed Auditor Suzanne Bump, but the scramble to raise money is on, with two Democrats competing for cash over the past month since Bump announced her retirement plans."

PARTY POLITICS

– "MassGOP launches voter ID ballot initiative," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "State Republicans are launching a push at the ballot box to pass a voter ID law, convinced the Democratic-led Legislature won't take on the issue. … The state Republican party is looking to register 'at least' 2,000 volunteers to help gather signatures of registered voters to get the question on the 2022 statewide ballot."

DAY IN COURT

– "'A false story woven by the prosecution': Decision to indict attorneys Blake Rubin, Angela Cavanaugh should be investigated, Massachusetts defense lawyers argue," by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: "Defense lawyers are calling for a probe into prosecutors' decision to charge two Worcester-area attorneys, who they said were just doing their job."

FROM THE 413

– "Suit filed by one Monterey official against others, town, alleges cronyism, fraud; defendant terms it 'fiction'," by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: "A Select Board member is suing the town and several officials for allegedly conspiring to make a backdoor patronage hire to keep a longtime employee in a job at Town Hall."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "He first plotted vengeance. Then he became the police chief," by Dugan Arnett, Boston Globe: "It was 1988, just a couple months into the new year, when 18-year-old Phillip Tavares found himself pondering revenge. For weeks, he had done what everyone told him: be patient, wait for the prosecutor's investigation of his father's death to run its course. The truth will come out, son. There will be consequences. … Now, after learning that the district attorney had declined to prosecute the officers, the boy sat in the dark, plotting. If he couldn't get justice in his father's small town, then he'd take it himself. Thirty-three years later, the same boy — a man now — sat in an office and reflected on the decisions, large and small, that shape a life. On a nearby shelf, his father's framed mug shot sat, a daily reminder of what was taken from him. And on his desk was a nameplate. Phillip A. Tavares, it read. Chief of Police."

– "Who is the Rise of the Moors militia group that stopped traffic on the highway in Wakefield?" by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "The group of 11 militiamen who ended up in an hours-long standoff with police in Wakefield on Saturday morning espouses a conspiracy-based, anti-government agenda that combines sovereign-citizen beliefs with those of the Moorish Science Temple."

– The men are due in court today, per Boston.com's Julia Taliesin. From the Boston Globe's John Hilliard: "Parents of Wakefield suspect stunned by standoff, arrests."

– "'If people want to see a miracle, they should look at me,' says rabbi who survived attack," Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "Last week Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was fighting for his life, struggling against a man who attacked him with a knife and a gun outside a Jewish school in Brighton, according to authorities. … By Friday afternoon, with the help of two of his older sons, Noginski was able to walk to his synagogue for a Shabbat service and say a prayer to thank his creator for saving him from certain death."

– More: "Jewish organizations bolster security following spate of antisemitic attacks," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Following a violent week in Boston where a rabbi was stabbed outside a Brighton Jewish school, and two Black people were killed in a Winthrop rampage where a local synagogue may have been the intended target, local Jewish institutions are making serious investments in security."

– "Striking St. Vincent nurses take fight to Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare headquarters," by Isabel Sami, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "A group of 17 striking nurses from St. Vincent Hospital will travel to the headquarters of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, the hospital's owner, along with other caregivers from Tenet facilities in California and health-care and labor activists from across the country. The group will hold a press conference at noon Wednesday to make a direct appeal to Tenet executives, asking them to respond to the nurses' months-long call for increased staffing and safer patient care which they have been striking over since March 8."

MEDIA MATTERS

– Jennifer Huberdeau, Eagle features editor, wins prestigious national prize; Williamstown author Aruna D'Souza wins as well," by Felix Carroll, Berkshire Eagle.

CONGRATS – to Chris Dempsey and Anna Cilluffo, who got engaged over the weekend. Tweet.

TRANSITIONS – Audrey K. Schuster, a local fundraiser and philanthropist who also focuses on mentoring youth and young mothers, is a presidential nominee for member of the Board of Trustees of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

– State Sen. Paul Feeney has added Keith Drucker as chief of staff, Corinne Corcoran as legislative and budget director, and promoted Maya Rabinovitz to communications director.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to former state Sen. Richard Ross, state Rep. Jake Oliveira, Dave Eisenstadter and WBUR's Cloe Axelson.

HAPPY BELATED – to state Rep. Tami Gouveia, who celebrated Friday; Maia Raynor of Rivera Consulting and Andrew Peek who celebrated Saturday; and Mass Fiscal's Laurie Belsito, Ryan Williams, Lanhee Chen, Will Ritter of Poolhouse and Rachel Wells, politics, press and public affairs officer at the British Consulate General-Boston, who celebrated Sunday.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.