Tax talks in Boston mayor's race
A gaggle of campaign surrogates held a press conference outside the JFK federal building Tuesday, calling on Josh Kraft, Wu's main competition in the race, to release his tax returns.
'He wants to be the mayor of Boston, and we're asking him to be totally transparent about where all of his money and all of his interests are going,' state Sen. Lydia Edwards said. 'He's not Trump, … but he's acting Trump-like when you don't disclose where your money's going. All we're asking for is a fundamental, basic level of transparency.'
Wu wasn't there herself — she's in Maine until Sunday with family, according to her office — but she chimed in via a video she posted to social media. A spokesperson for Kraft said he applied for an extension for his 2024 tax return and will be releasing information before the Sept. 9 preliminary election.
Yesterday's call for Kraft to disclose his financial details was in line with other attacks Wu and allies have leveled against Kraft, the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, in a campaign that's become heavily focused on money. Wu has accused him of trying to buy the office and regularly points out that the super PAC backing him is funded in part by Republican donors.
The Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll that was released this week shows those attacks seem to be sticking. Wu led Kraft 60-30 percent in the survey, and more than 42 percent of likely Boston voters said they had an unfavorable view of Kraft. The results prompted columns in both the Boston Herald and The Boston Globe questioning how Kraft can forge a path forward.
Kraft went on the offensive early. His campaign, at least for now, is sticking with the strategy. In response to the Wu campaign's calls to release his tax returns, a Kraft spokesperson sent a lengthy statement knocking Wu over transparency within City Hall.
'Rather than talk about the issues that people actually care about and how she has failed to make the city work for everyone, from housing to schools to making City Hall more transparent and responsive to residents' concerns, Michelle Wu is trying to change the conversation while overseeing the least transparent City Hall in generations,' Kraft's spokesperson Eileen O'Connor said in a statement.
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com.
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey chairs a Governors Council meeting at noon at the State House. Rep. Ayanna Pressley holds a press conference defending DEI at noon in D.C.
THE MONEY
VEEP WATCH — Vice President JD Vance raised $3 million at his Nantucket fundraiser Tuesday night, per the New York Post, a record for a fundraising event on the island.
SPOTTED — at the fundraiser: Stefan Passantino, Mike Minogue Colin Greenspoon, Henry Howard, Kristan Nevins and Ozzie Palermo.
DATELINE BEACON HILL
— Healey says officials need to 'live within our means.' She's also giving managers in her administration $10 million in raises. by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: 'When she signed Massachusetts' $61 billion state budget, Governor Maura Healey touted taking several cost-saving steps amid 'tight and uncertain' times, including halting a planned January pay hike for executive branch managers. … Left unsaid at the time: Healey is giving those same managers — 3,600 in total — a separate raise this month, a 2 percent increase her administration estimates will cost roughly $10 million this fiscal year. Members of Healey's Cabinet, most of whom were making more than $202,000 a year, are also eligible for the increase, which would boost their pay by more than $4,000 apiece. The raise would mark the second time in six months Healey has given administration managers and Cabinet members a salary bump.'
FROM THE HUB
— Massachusetts revenue commish disputes claims that Boston is 'secretly penalizing' commercial properties with tax spikes by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'The head of the state's Department of Revenue said he's found no evidence to support claims raised by a watchdog group that the City of Boston has been increasing the assessed value, and taxes, of commercial properties that file appeals. DOR Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder said he directed his staff to look into the matter following a letter his department received late last month from the Pioneer New England Legal Foundation requesting an investigation into what the watchdog alleged were and unconstitutional' assessment practices by the city.'
— Business groups oppose ban on 'captive-audience' meetings by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: 'Business leaders are strongly criticizing a proposal on Beacon Hill to ban mandatory employer-sponsored meetings on religious and political matters, arguing it would infringe on free speech rights and lead to costly litigation. The proposal, filed by state Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, D-Somerville, would prohibit mandatory 'captive-audience' gatherings by public and private employers and allow workers to file lawsuits if they are fired or disciplined for reporting or speaking out about any violations of the proposed rules.'
FALL RIVER FALLOUT
— Fall River fire caused at one of two points of origin by Dan Medeiros, The Herald News: 'State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said one of two factors caused the deadly fire at Gabriel House assisted living facility on July 13. Davine said, based on the available evidence, the fire began with either an electrical or mechanical failure with an oxygen concentrator, or the improper disposal of smoking material, and began in a second-floor bedroom on the left side of the building. Davine said the room contained an oxygen concentrator 'and numerous smoking materials.''
MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS
— Federal spending data shows Massachusetts companies that work with ICE by Daniel Jackson, MassLive: 'Tactical vehicles, law enforcement badges, a 24/7 transcription and language interpretation service — these are some of the goods and services Massachusetts companies have provided to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. About a dozen companies across the Bay State, stretching from Pittsfield to Plymouth, work with ICE in some capacity, federal records show. A list of companies working with ICE from around the country, drawn from federal spending data, was recently compiled on a map as part of a website called boycottcitizens.org, which accuses Citizens Bank of funding a pair of private prisons.'
DAY IN COURT
— Judge dismisses more than 100 cases amid lawyer work stoppage by Sean Cotter, The Boston Globe: 'Defendant after defendant on Tuesday heard the same message from Boston Municipal Court Chief Justice Tracy-Lee Lyons: ;This case shall be dismissed without prejudice today.' All told, 102 people who had been charged with a wide range of crimes, from the petty to the violent, saw their cases dropped because the government had been unable to provide them a lawyer. Tuesday's hearing marked a remarkable step underscoring the ongoing crisis created by a work stoppage by the private court-appointed attorneys known as bar advocates, who represent most of the state's indigent defendants who otherwise can't afford lawyers. The charges, read out in quick succession by court clerks, spanned from shoplifting and driving on a suspended license to domestic violence, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and drug trafficking.'
— Officials face down Republic in court by Caroline Enos, Gloucester Daily Times: 'Leaders of Gloucester, Beverly, Peabody, Canton, Danvers and Malden appeared in court Tuesday afternoon over against Republic Services' lacking service during the ongoing Teamsters' strike. Their lawyers asked a Salem Superior Court judge to issue a preliminary judgement demanding that Republic carry out all contracted services in these communities, as the company has routinely left trash to sit in dumpsters and on curbs days past scheduled collection dates during the strike. Republic has also failed to pick up any recycling in most of these towns since the strike began July 1.'
FROM THE DELEGATION
— Warren, Social Security chief to meet over agency concerns by Stephen Neukam, Axios: 'Social Security commissioner Frank Bisignano will huddle with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in Washington on Wednesday amid deep Democratic concerns about the agency's cuts to services, Axios has learned. … Warren will have the chance to air grievances about everything from staffing cuts to phone wait times in a meeting that follows incessant pressure from Democrats on Capitol Hill.'
FROM THE 413
— Amherst Regional falls short on mandated learning time by 100 hours by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Amherst school officials are being required by the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to take corrective action after the agency determined Amherst Regional High School students this past school year fell nearly 100 hours short of the required 990 hours of structured learning time.'
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— City Councilor Haxhiaj to be arraigned Wednesday for assault, interfering in ICE arrest by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: 'The Northwestern District Attorney's Office will prosecute the Worcester Police Department's charges against District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj related to the May 8 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation on Eureka Street. Haxhiaj's arraignment for the counts of an assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with police is slated to take place Wednesday, July 23, at Worcester District Court.'
— Who's running for mayor in Fall River? by Emily Scherny, The Herald News: 'Incumbent Mayor Paul Coogan is seeking his fourth term as the city's top executive. He has been mayor since being first elected in 2019. Previously, he served on the School Committee. Running against Coogan are Gabriel 'Boomer' Amaral, Carlos Cesar, Christopher Silvia and Michael J. Vandal.'
— Salem City Council approves ordinance to regulate condominium conversion by Michael McHugh, The Salem News.
MEDIA MATTERS
— GBH to lay off 13 employees from PBS history program 'American Experience' due to federal funding cuts by Aidan Ryan, The Boston Globe: 'GBH is laying off 13 employees from its PBS history program, 'American Experience,' due to 'severe cuts in federal funding for public media,' GBH chief executive Susan Goldberg told staff Monday night. 'American Experience' will air its 37th season — which includes a documentary about Henry Kissinger — this fall as planned, but next year will focus on rebroadcasting the program's best documentaries to give GBH time to 'reinvent, create, and ramp up' the series with a focus on digital platforms, Goldberg said in a Tuesday interview with the Globe.'
HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Sen. Kathleen O'Connor-Ives, Meg Montgomery, Vasundhra Sangar, Jeremy D. Goodwin, Mariane Pearl, the Telegram & Gazette's Kinga Borondy, Reynolds Graves, Jane Rayburn of EMC Research and Massachusetts Playbook alum Lisa Kashinsky.
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