Patrick Lawlor, Associate Editor in Chief
Local Politicians Scrutinized for Campaign Finance Violations
Two local politicians have gained attention over alleged campaign finance violations recently. Freshman Rep. Paul Adams, who represents the 17th Essex District, which includes parts of Andover, Lawrence and Tewksbury, has allegedly benefited from a multi-step financial “scheme” according to a report by the Eagle-Tribune. The report said that an out-of-town political committee from Marlborough produced six mailings costing $27,807 for Adams’ campaign, causing state Democrats to wonder what interest Marlborough had in Adams’ election. His family also donated funds totaling $30,000, violating campaign finance laws. The Massachusetts Democratic Committee called for an investigation into the Marlborough Republican Committee for funding Republican campaigns outside of Marlborough.
Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins was under fire after WBZ-TV’s investigative team reported that several corrections officers claimed that they were pressured into donating to his campaign. The report said that department employees and family members have donated a total of $400,000 to his warchest since 2005. Cousins denied that anyone was pressured into donating. He has since said that he will no longer solicit donations from any union members. He is, however, accepting donations from his 27-member command staff. According to Cousins, the allegations are in result of a disgruntled employee who recently left the department. Cousins said that despite efforts by WBZ to block out his face and change his voice in the interview, his staff was able to identify the former employee.
