Photo: Office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Department of Justice released a scathing report on Massachusetts U.S Attorney Rachael Rollins on Wednesday, a day after she said she was resigning.
The DOJ's months-long investigation culminated in a 150-page report with multiple allegations of wrongdoing. The violations fall under a federal law called the Hatch Act, which strictly forbids certain federal executive employees from playing an active role in political campaigns or events.
The department said Rollins leaked sensitive information to the press about Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden in an attempt to damage his campaign to remain D.A. last year.
The report also said Rollins extensively coached Hayden's political rival Ricardo Arroyo on strategies to beat Hayden over the course of the campaign.
Investigators said her advice — in part — came in the form of text messages.
"No mercy. Finish him,” said one. “Make sure you let me know about stuff that I can show up at. And we can ‘happen’ to be there together," she said. In another instance, the report said Rollins told Arroyo to "Start going to Black churches. 2 every Sunday. Go to [Hayden’s] church. I’m serious.”
When confronted about the investigators' findings, report also said she falsely testified under oath and denied the allegations.
Other Hatch Act Violations
In addition to her involvement in Arroyo's political campaign, the report also pointed to several other potential Hatch Act violations.
That includes a widely-reported appearance at a DNC fundraiser with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in July, 2022. The DOJ said it had agreed to let Rollins meet with the first lady, but told her to do it privately, behind closed doors. Instead, Rollins was seen at the fundraiser with the rest of the crowd.
Other allegations include doing work business on her personal cell phone, and using her office to get Celtics tickets for a youth basketball team.
Office of the Special Counsel Report
In a separate report to the President, the Office of the Special Counsel harshly condemned Rollins. Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner called the election tampering allegations "the most egregious Hatch Act violations that OSC has investigated."
Rollins is expected to hand in a letter of resignation to President Biden by Friday. Through her attorney, Rollins said she was "profoundly honored to serve as U.S. Attorney over the past 16 months and is incredibly proud of all her office has accomplished during that limited time." Her lawyer said she would answer questions "after the dust settles."
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