Two-term state Attorney General Martha Coakley is running against state Treasurer Steve Grossman and former health care administrator Donald Berwick for a spot on the November ticket as the Democrat nominee for governor.
The Editorial Board of MassLive.com and The Republican will meet with Coakley next week. We want to know what questions you have for the candidate. Please file your questions in the comments section below or email us directly at letters@repub.com.
Following is background on Coakley’s record as attorney general and her platform as governor, taken from a number of sources:
She supported the placement of unaccompanied children from Central and South America in Massachusetts, saying, “”I support Governor Patrick’s attempt to work with the Obama administration and provide a safe harbor for these children. These are children who in many cases are fleeing from dangerous situations. While we ultimately need a federal solution to this crisis, Massachusetts helping harbor these children in the short-term – with the federal government picking up all the expenses – is the right thing to do.”
As attorney general, Coakley tried former state Probation Commissioner John O’Brien on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, alleging that he helped former state treasurer Timothy Cahill fund raise in order to get his wife a job at the state Lottery Commission. O’Brien was acquitted of the state charges. She applauded the verdict in the federal case against three former top probation officials.
“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that the corrupt hiring practices at issue were wrong and illegal,” she said. “The rigged hiring system at the Probation Department never should have been accepted as ‘business as usual.’ Now we must remain vigilant that public accountability and transparency in government is enforced.”
A native of North Adams and a graduate of Williams College and Boston University Law School, Coakley, served as Middlesex County district attorney prior to being elected attorney general in 2006.
A relentless consumer advocate, Coakley was the first state attorney general to take on big banks in the mortgage and foreclosure crisis. Her office recovered more than $440 million for Massachusetts homeowners and taxpayers and helped keep more than 15,000 people in their homes. In addition, she has challenged utility rate increases.
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the abortion clinic buffer zone law that she supported and her office defended, Coakley said, “We do this every day. We fight our battles. We win some, we don’t win them all, but as in this one, we’re going to keep fighting. This is our job. This is what I do.”
The Legislature immediately passed a revised version of the legislation, which was signed by Gov. Deval Patrick.
As attorney general, Coakley sought to keep a referendum question off the November ballot that seeks to repeal the law that expands casino gambling in Massachusetts. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that question will remain on the ballot. After that ruling, Coakley said she would vote against the repeal.
“I have said that casinos is not the first place I ever would have gone for economic development,” she said in June. “I also have said that we worked with the legislature on passing a money laundering statute, making sure we had enforcement that we needed.”
While Grossman has criticized Coakley for failing to back a rule that would limit the number of guns people could buy to one within thirty days, Coakley has struck back, hammering Grossman on his willingness to take Super PAC funds.
Coakley has released a detailed economic plan that stresses education, transportation, maintaining an attractive environment for businesses and worker protections.
Coakley supports a $15 an hour minimum wage for fast food workers.
She has also supported employees at Market Basket who are demanding the reinstatement of beloved former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, whom they credit with keeping prices low, treating them well and guiding the company’s success.
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