Katie Castellani
State House News Service
Members of the State Ballot Law Commission have donated to Democratic opponents of two Republican candidates the body ruled ineligible for the ballot last week in connection with complaints of fraudulent nomination signatures.
Michael Walsh, a Republican running for attorney general, alleged after Friday afternoon's commission ruling that the process has been "more than one-sided," noting that three commissioners have donated to his opponent, Andrea Campbell.
During a June 23 hearing on the complaint, Walsh attorney Brad Keene moved to have three commissioners recuse themselves due to their contributions, saying "I would suggest that, at least from my perspective, it pierces the impartiality that this commission is imbued with. I don't believe that Mr. Walsh should have to face commissioners that have already expressed a desire to further the campaign and career of his opponent."
Chair Ernest Sarason ruled that the motion was denied. Campbell's OCPF filings show commissioner Jed Nosal donated $200 to her campaign on May 26 and his contributions to the incumbent date back to 2015, when Campbell ran for Boston City Council.
During the hearing, Nosal said that he considered recusal as well and that his contributions don't affect his impartiality. Nosal is listed as the commission's only unenrolled member and Kaitlyn Sprague is the body's sole Republican.
Commissioner Joseph Boncore, a former state senator who leads the government affairs firm Commonwealth Counsel, is a Democrat along with Joseph Eisenstadt and chairman Sarason.
OCPF filings show that Sprague donated $100 to Campbell in 2022 and Boncore contributed $200 in 2024.
Four out of the five commissioners, who also ruled that Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Anne Manning Martin should not appear on the ballot, have donated to her competitor Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Gov. Maura Healey.
In January, Boncore donated $200 to both Driscoll and Healey. Sprague donated $200 to Healey in 2024 and $200 to Driscoll on June 22. Nosal contributed $200 to Healey's campaign on June 10 – he has also donated $200 to Healey every year since 2013 – and $200 to Driscoll in January. Eisenstadt contributed $200 to Driscoll on June 8 and his most recent donation to Healey was $250 in 2022.
None of the five commission members have contributed Walsh or Manning Martin or other statewide Republican candidates including: Shawn Oliver, a lieutenant governor candidate who filed the complaint against Manning Martin; Anne Brensley, another lieutenant governor candidate whose ballot hopes were also dashed over allegedly fraudulent signatures; Brian Shortsleeve, a GOP gubernatorial candidate and Oliver's running mate; or gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue.