A U.S. attorney lied about helping a Democrat candidate in a contested primary, a watchdog has reported.
Rollins, who was district attorney before becoming a U.S. attorney, provided Arroyo with “campaign advice and direction” in addition to coordinating with him on activities to help his campaign, investigators found.
That included providing the Boston Globe with negative information about interim District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Arroyo’s Democrat opponent, and citing the Globe articles in internal discussions about possibly investigating Hayden. Rollins also indicated to a reporter that her office might be opening an investigation into the interim district attorney over potential misconduct and urged the reporter to “keep digging.”
She messaged Arroyo regarding a potential probe, telling him, “I’m working on something.”
Rollins exchanged more than 380 messages with Arroyo leading up to the primary, including some in which she criticized Hayden.
In others, Rollins gave campaign advice.
“DO not let him slide on this,” she said in one message after the Boston Globe reported that black people were pulled over at a higher rate than white people in Boston. “He [needs] to be asked at the next forum, did you read the report yet? What are you doing about it?”
She also offered to speak to a reporter after a story outlined allegations of sexual assault against Arroyo.
Rollins also suggested Arroyo respond to the story after it was published, by claiming that Hayden was likely being investigated by federal authorities.
“I am confident that the voters will see his attempted smear campaign as exactly what it is—a desperate attempt by a man about to lose his job,” the proposed statement said.
Rollins told investigators that Arroyo is her friend and that she “just didn’t know Kevin Hayden.” She claimed she didn’t give him campaign advice.
Investigators also found that Rollins disclosed nonpublic Department of Justice information to two reporters; asked for and received free tickets to a Boston Celtics game, two of which she used with a friend; and received nonfederal payment for travel expenses on two separate occasions.
Rollins lied multiple times to investigators, including falsely stating that she wasn’t a source for a Boston Herald story, the Office of the Inspector General said. The lies violated federal law that prohibits people from making “any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation” in matters within the jurisdiction of the U.S. government. Violators can receive up to eight years in prison.
Rollins also violated the Hatch Act, which limits the political activities of federal officials, the watchdog said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to prosecute, according to the report.
The DOJ and a lawyer representing Rollins didn’t respond by press time to requests by The Epoch Times for comment. The White House declined to comment.
The Office of the Inspector General interviewed 18 DOJ employees, including Rollins, and several other people. Investigators also reviewed documents, emails, phone records, texts, and encrypted messages. They asked to image Rollins’s personal cellphone, which she used to conduct official business, but Rollins declined. She instead provided certain communications from the phone.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is investigating Rollins over the Hatch Act. The office will report its findings at a later date.
Resignation
Rollins is going to resign, Michael Bromwich, her lawyer, told news outlets before the report was published.“She is optimistic that the important work she started will continue but understands that her presence has become a distraction,” said Bromwich, a former DOJ inspector general. “The work of the office and the Department of Justice is far too important to be overshadowed by anything else.”
Rollins emerged from a tough confirmation battle during which critics noted that she didn’t prosecute a number of offenses while Suffolk County district attorney. In one memorandum shortly after taking office, Rollins directed staff on a list of 15 offenses that she said “should be declined or dismissed pre-arraignment without conditions.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), one of the critics, said in a statement: “I warned Democratic senators that Rachael Rollins wasn’t only a pro-criminal ideologue, but also had a history of poor judgment and ethical lapses. Now that she has resigned in disgrace, the Senate should turn its attention to the corrupt, pro-criminal ideologues at the highest ranks of the Department of Justice.”
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who both supported Rollins, said in a joint statement: “Rachael Rollins has for years dedicated herself to the people of Massachusetts and equal justice under the law. We will respect her decision.”
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