Grant Smith – Ellis was in court late last week and writes
After an explosive hearing at Suffolk Superior Court in downtown Boston on Friday –wherein both the Massachusetts CCC and State Treasurer Deb Goldberg were scolded by Judge Robert B Gordon for attempting to keep records related to the firing of former CCC Chair Shannon O’Brien secret– it appears highly likely that at least a majority of those documents will be made public.
The Judge in the case was quite literally aghast that the Treasurer, for the first time in state history, was attempting to use something called the Fair information practices act (FIPA) to “supervene” Massachusetts court rules that would otherwise demand the public release of the documents in question.
Then, on multiple occasions, Judge Gordon noted the extensive public interest –at a level the Judge called “on steroids”– related to the firing of a public official, by an elected member of the state government, and in the context of that person’s work for a regulatory agency.
Further, the CCC was chastised by the Judge for failing to file an appropriate motion seeking to have a letter, from the spring of 2024, impounded. The Judge said the agency can “try again” by filing a properly styled motion, and including the letter in question as an attachment.
In my view, the Judge hearing Friday’s arguments was highly suspicious of Goldberg and the CCC attempting to keep these records public, and I expect most of this 1,700 page document to soon be released.
Furthermore, another series of documents will be filed in the case by Goldberg in the coming weeks (prior to February 13th, 2025), and, if there is a request from a member of the public (or some kind of towel reporter), those documents, too, could also be made public, said the Judge at Friday’s hearing.
O’Brien alleges that a group of CCC staff members –attempting to cover up serious allegations of abuse, misconduct and corruption– “took out” O’Brien with pre-textual smears after she attempted to reform the beleaguered regulatory juggernaut.
Goldberg, O’Brien further alleges, is attempting to hide documents related to O’Brien’s suspension (and eventual dismissal) that may show a plot by Nurys Camargo, Shawn Collins, Cedric Sinclair and other CCC personnel to “take out” O’Brien with pretextual allegations of misconduct. Those documents are currently being kept private by Goldberg’s office because of the explosive allegations of misconduct (directed at some of Goldberg’s friends/allies) included therein.
This news arrives, also, as a litany of serious allegations of abuse have been directed at members of CCC staff (including Cedric Sinclair) by upwards of four female staffers.
It was an attempt to investigate these allegations of abuse that, according to my sources, resulted in O’Brien being targeted for removal by her own staff members and colleagues.
Watch part 1 of the hearing below, or watch the hearing in full via this link – https://lnkd.in/eSkr8nhj
