The chances that Sen. Stan Rosenberg may return to his post as president of the State Senate seem to be growing dimmer as the fallout from new allegations that his husband improperly influenced Senate business rocked Beacon Hill Monday.
Gov. Charlie Baker and some of Rosenberg’s fellow Democrats say that the Amherst progressive should not return as Senate President if it’s true that his husband Bryon Hefner had access to his official email account and tried to influence funding for his former employer.
The Boston Globe reported Saturday that Hefner had access to Rosenberg’s official email account and pressured Senate staff to increase funding for the nonprofit he worked for, then fought to lower the funding after he left.
Acting Senate President Harriette Chandler said Monday she’s appalled by the allegations that Hefner had access to Rosenberg’s official email and tried to manipulate funding even after Rosenberg assured senators there would be a “firewall” between his husband and official business.
“Anybody would be deeply concerned,” Chandler said. “They seem to be a clear violation of the firewall, if they’re true. If they’re true. And we will have to see whether they are true.”
Earlier in the day, Baker and two of the three Democrats running against him for governor said Rosenberg should not return to the presidency if the allegations are proven.
“Well if those allegations are true, and at this point they’re allegations, then I don’t see any way he can remain Senate president, no,” Baker said.
In a statement, Rosenberg maintained that he did not allow his husband to influence him. Rosenberg suggested there are factual errors in the Globe’s report in a response to the newspaper.
“I did not allow Bryon Hefner to influence my actions and decisions as Senate President, or to influence the Senate’s actions and decisions, despite any suggestions to the contrary,” Rosenberg wrote in the statement. “I continue to rely on the Senate Ethics Committee investigation to determine all the facts, and I look forward to its completion.”
An independent team of attorneys under the authority of the Senate Ethics Committee is investigating if Rosenberg violated any Senate rules and will issue a report with their findings. Witnesses and alleged victims have said they feel political pressure not to come forward.
Baker was asked Monday if he agreed with a tweet from the state Republican Party, which he controls, that there’s a toxic culture of corruption in the State House.
“I certainly believe for the people who are on the receiving end of this stuff, it sure felt toxic to them,” Baker said. “Which is why I’m glad people are chasing this one and chasing it hard, and I certainly hope that the work gets done soon, because there’s a lot of unanswered questions out there at this point in time that need answers.
While the quiet campaign by Rosenberg’s allies to return him to the presidency of the Senate hit a roadblock, the even quieter race to replace him geared up.
Sen. Karen Spilka of Ashland, chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, has made it clear she’d be a candidate for president should a vacancy arise. And a vacancy depends on Rosenberg resigning or being found unfit by his fellow senators.
”There is a lot going on. I believe colleagues are speaking on a daily basis. I continue to speak to colleagues. I am primarily working on the work of the Senate,“ Spilka told reporters after meeting with Baker, Chandler and House leaders Monday.
One of Spilka’s rivals in the nascent race for the presidency, Eileen Donoghue of Lowell, said that the Ethics Committee investigation ”remains the proper forum to explore these allegations.“
”The conclusion and public reporting of the Committee’s critical work will help to ensure that the integrity of the Senate remains above reproach,“ Donoghue said.
Everett Sen. Sal DiDomenico echoed his rivals’ sentiment.
“These new reports are deeply troubling and upsetting. The integrity of the Senate should never be put at risk by anyone, and the public trust is at the core of our work,” DiDomenico said.
The investigation continues, but political pressure from his own party and Republicans may force Rosenberg out sooner rather than later.
“I know and like Stan Rosenberg, and I appreciate the many good things he has done as a senator to move our state forward. Consequently, I am incredibly sad about and frustrated with the tragic circumstances surrounding his husband’s access to and abuse of power,” gubernatorial candidate and former budget secretary Jay Gonzalez wrote in a statement in which he said Rosenberg should step aside.
“It is clear to me that Stan Rosenberg will not and should not be Senate President again, but I’m not ready to call for his resignation from the Senate,” former Newton Mayor Setti Warren, another gubernatorial hopeful, wrote in a statement.
The only candidate to stand by Rosenberg, in a way, was Bob Massie, who told WGBH News he’s disturbed by the allegations, but believes “in the principle of innocent until proven guilty.”
“Let’s see what the independent investigation determines before we offer opinions on what should happen next,” Massie wrote.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified where Sen. Karen Spilka is from. She’s from Ashland.
