MassGOP Calls on Coakley to Refund Taxpayers for DPH Defense

BOSTON –  Today, MassGOP Chairman Kirsten Hughes called on Attorney General Martha Coakley to refund taxpayers for the cost of the “boutique law firm” that will defend the state because of Coakley’s comments on the campaign trail. The Boston Herald reported yesterday that Coakley is unable to do her so-called “day job” as Attorney General, forcing taxpayers to pay an outside firm to defend the state in a lawsuit over medical marijuana.

“It is unacceptable that taxpayers should have to pick up the bill for a high-priced law firm because Coakley allowed her campaign to interfere with what she calls her ‘day job,’ serving the people as AG. Coakley talks a lot about fairness on the campaign trail so she should know it’s not fair to force taxpayers to pay for her mistake,” said Kirsten Hughes, MassGOP chairman. ”Fair would be paying the outside law firm that now has to do her job with her campaign account.”

Background:

Taxpayers will have to pay a “boutique law firm” to defend the state because of Coakey’s comments on the campaign trail. “The state health department has hired a politically wired “boutique” law firm to fight lawsuits from rejected applicants for medical-marijuana licenses, in part because Attorney General Martha Coakley — whose staff would normally defend the state in court — has publicly sounded off about the widely criticized pot shop selection process.” (John Zaremba, “Politically wired firm to defend Mass. pot spats,” The Boston Herald,” 3/11/14) 

Caokley called her work as AG, her “day job.” “’This particular event is an attorney general event, from my point of view,’ Coakley said following the approximately hour-long meeting where she spent much more time listening than talking. ‘I really wanted to get an update, in my role as attorney general, as to what is going on.’ She called that her day job.” (Sean Horgan, “Coakley hears fishermen’s plight,” Gloucester Daily Times, 3/11/14)