Attorney General Maura Healy told GBH News Friday that when she endorsed Tino Capobianco, a candidate for state representative in the 19th Suffolk District, she was unaware of allegations of “troubling behavior” that later led her to revoke her endorsement.
After endorsing Capobianco earlier this month, Healey pulled the endorsement on Tuesday, as sexual misconduct allegations were first reported by GBH News.
When asked on Boston Public Radio Friday if she was aware of tweets that emerged in December — about two months prior to her endorsement — that showed Capobianco posting about being a “creepy guy” and “grinding up on” women, Healey responded, "Oh, no, no, not at all. ... I mean, I announced my endorsement a week ago, and, you know, after that endorsement, there were people who came forward. Some wrote to me then who alleged some troubling behavior.”
A spokesman for Healey confirmed that “multiple” women had reached out to her office with detailed allegations following her endorsement of Capobianco. The emails, which were independently obtained and verified by GBH News, detailed allegations of sexual harassment, predatory behavior and misconduct by Capobianco.
“I'm thankful to them for coming forward and sharing their stories,” Healey said. “I know it's always difficult to do based on the nature of the allegations. I wasn't comfortable continuing with the endorsement.”
Capobianco, who is running to replace former House Speaker Robert DeLeo in a special primary election on Tuesday, has denied the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory,” and “unfairly designed to influence the election,” in a statement issued by the campaign. In a second statement released after the GBH News story was published, Capobianco continued to deny the bulk of the allegations, while admitting that some of his behavior has been “juvenile.”
"It is deeply personally embarrassing to see some dumb college behavior also be raised — I will own my own mistakes. It was not predatory. I was overly enthusiastic texting someone I had a crush on. That is the juvenile behavior of a nerdy kid. In hindsight as an adult, I know that," he wrote. "I’d like to think that despite any personal embarrassment this story brings to me, the people of this district who know me will decide that I can still do more for their families and our community over the next two years than can any of the other candidates running. If that is the case, I’d be honored and humbled to become their voice and their vote on Beacon Hill."
Other big-name endorsements also pulled out in light of the allegations, including from former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, State Sen. Paul Feeney, Suffolk Sheriff Steve Tompkins, the Boston Ward 1 Democratic Committee and Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts.
Capobianco is a member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. He previously served as chief of staff and communications director for Feeney, a State House aide for DeLeo, and the community affairs deputy director for the Middlesex Sheriff’s office. The 32-year-old Winthrop local spent two years as the Winthrop school committee chair, a year before announcing his campaign to succeed DeLeo. DeLeo took on a position at Northeastern University last month following a 12-year career as speaker of the Massachusetts House.
The primary election to succeed DeLeo will take place on March 2. Three other Democratic candidates are running against Capobianco: Juan Pablo Jaramillo, Jeffrey Turco and Alicia DelVento.
