Massachusetts
Massachusetts auditor cites $31K LaMar Cook buyout while slamming Beacon Hill ‘collusion’ to obstruct audits
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio cited the ongoing debacle in Gov. Maura Healey’s office surrounding the hiring of former embattled aide LaMar Cook and his $31,000 contract buyout, while slamming Beacon Hill for its “collusion” to thwart official audits.
DiZoglio presented the findings of a recent audit Wednesday related to employee settlements across state agencies and political offices, saying “those in power,” including Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell, have allegedly worked to obstruct or flat-out disregard an audit.
She pointed to perhaps the most infamous employee settlement case in Massachusetts: the over $31,000 contract buyout given to Cook — first reported by the Herald.
“The recently publicized circumstances involving a now former state employee with a criminal history, who has been arrested and faces serious charges related to criminal activities allegedly conducted on and at the job in the governor’s Western Massachusetts office, underscores the need for access to personnel records to ensure proper oversight,” said DiZoglio.
“We’ve all seen that settlements with public employees come in many different forms and we the taxpayers wouldn’t know that roughly $30,000 of our hard-earned tax dollars went out to someone who was fired from their position after they were arrested on charges of cocaine trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm. These are exactly the types of things our office is able to audit and to dig deeper on and shine a light on how and why issues like this happen,” she said.
Last month, a Herald public records request revealed that the admin likely knew about Cook’s violent criminal history, including serious 2001 gun charges, before hiring him. Cook was arrested in late October after State Police intercepted 21 kilos of cocaine being shipped to the Springfield State Office where he worked.
DiZoglio also announced plans to sue Massport for access to personnel records that AG Campbell and Massport allegedly colluded to obstruct her access to.
Fire broke out at an apartment building in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, sending a column of smoke high into the air.
NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports the smoke was visible from miles away from the building on Juniper Road.
More details were not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
-
Politics1 minute agoStacey Abrams hit with subpoena in alleged campaign finance violations saga: ‘No one is above the law’
-
Health7 minutes agoTwo Maryland residents monitored for hantavirus after sharing flight with infected cruise ship passenger
-
Sports13 minutes agoCraig Morton, quarterback who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance, dead at 83
-
Technology19 minutes agoRobotaxi drives off from airport with passenger’s suitcase
-
Business25 minutes agoL.A. port traffic rises in April despite trade disruption, higher fuel costs
-
Entertainment31 minutes agoEntertainment mogul Byron Allen to acquire Buzzfeed, HuffPost
-
Politics43 minutes agoOversight chair seeks information from OpenAI’s Sam Altman about potential financial conflicts
-
Science49 minutes agoHantavirus fears heighten with 4 Californians exposed to the disease. Is the alarm warranted?