Ball’s in AG Healey’s Court: Will She Take on Democrat-Leaning Law Firm for ‘Straw’ Political Donations?

BOSTON — A Beacon Hill public finance watchdog has pounced on a recent report indicating that state campaign finance officials plan to direct Attorney General Maura Healey to consider making a criminal case out of a prominent Hub law firm's pattern of reimbursing its lawyers and spouses for donations made to both Massachusetts and national Democrats.

The critical comments made Friday by Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance executive director Paul Craney followed a Boston Globe report confirming that the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance fired off a letter last month to the Thornton Law Firm outlining evidence that purportedly proves that the firm illegally reimbursed its attorneys and associated family members up to $175,000 for a series of campaign contributions.