What's next for Rachael Rollins after resignation over ethics investigation?
BOSTON – Massachusetts U.S Attorney Rachael Rollins spent her career as a prosecutor talking about the alleged conduct of defendants. Now she is facing allegations about her own conduct.
Two scathing federal investigations found that Rollins leaked sensitive department of justice information to journalists, lied to investigators and violated the law by going to a democratic fundraiser to meet First Lady Jill Biden.
George Brown is the former chair of the Massachusetts Ethics Commission. He said all of that adds up to what one might call an abuse of power.
"I think when you get into those kinds of high offices there's a feeling that you can kind of get away with stuff that ordinary people maybe can't," Brown told the WBZ-TV I-Team.
The 155-page Inspector General's report says Rollins was interviewed under oath and lacked candor, blamed her staff for her own ethics failures, exercised poor judgement, and violated ethics standards by going on paid trips that were not disclosed or approved.
Brown said the report is exceptionally harsh in their condemnation of her conduct.
Equally harsh was the Special Counsel's report that blasted Rollins for meddling in the Suffolk County District Attorney's race. The report called her actions among the most egregious transgressions of the law and an extraordinary abuse of her authority.
It referred the case to President Joe Biden for appropriate action.
Brown said it's not clear what, if any sanctions, Rollins could face.
"One might say she paid the ultimate price. She is resigned a very prestigious public office under a very serious cloud," Brown said.
This is not the first time Rollins' conduct raised questions.
She faced an Attorney General's investigation when she was the Suffolk County District Attorney. Those allegations involved an incident in a parking lot and her use of the emergency blue lights on her state car.
That case was close and no violations were found.
