On January 20th, Senator Brian Joyce joined Jim on Greater Boston to discuss his ethical travails. On Wednesday, the IRS and FBI visited his law office for the same reason. And now the state GOP is calling for Joyce’s resignation.
Last month, The Boston Globe’s Andrea Estes wrote a story about Joyce getting free laundry service for his family and himself for about a decade — which was just the latest in a series of stories about complaints that led to state ethics and campaign finance investigations. That same week on Boston Public Radio, Governor Charlie Baker declared, “In a situation like this where you have a private citizen speaking so forthrightly about a continuing pattern with respect to this type of activity, i think this is the sort of thing the ethics commission should take a really hard look at. there’s enough there to justify a review, absolutely,” said Baker.
On Wednesday, The Boston Globe’s Dante Ramos (@danteramos) and Frank Phillips (@GlobeFPhillips) joined Jim to discuss the afternoon raid.
“When the IRS and the FBI show up at the office, at your law office…there is something very serious going on. And he’s going to really have a problem here,” said Phillips.
When discussing wither corruption in Massachusetts politics is a systemic issue, Ramos said, “I think there is a climate in Massachusetts, and it contrasts with other states, where law makers...feel entitled to a certain amount of maneuvering room on ethical issues. I do think it’s unusual that public officials in Massachusetts and people around state government seem to be willing to defend a level of…sort of borderline behavior. It’s something that people are willing to accept as part of the way that politics gets done and I don’t necessarily think that’s true in other states.”
“Not every leader or every political state representative is as corrupt as everybody thinks they are,” Phillips rebutted. “I think it’s a tribute to the Boston Globe’s constantly uncovering those who do violate the law.”
While Joyce’s fate currently remains unclear, general opinion of him evidently does not. “He’s never been popular,” said Phillips. “If he has a friend or two, I don’t know about it. The Senate leadership would very much like to see him go.”
Greater Boston invited Senator Joyce to return for Wednesday’s show. His office sent a statement from his attorney:
“It is unfortunate that recent stories in the media appear to have sparked an investigation. Senator Joyce has been cooperating with each inquiry that has taken place to date resulting from those stories and believes that he has done absolutely nothing wrong.”
You can watch Senator Joyce’s full interview with Jim from Jan. 20th here.
