And another one exits
A high-ranking federal prosecutor in Massachusetts is stepping down after watchdog reports published Wednesday revealed she broke numerous Department of Justice (DOJ) policies by attempting to meddle in a local electoral race, joining a Democrat Party fundraiser where Jill Biden appeared, among other things.
In the 161-page report on Rachel Rollins’ alleged violations, Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s office said that she “fell far short of the standards of professionalism and judgment that the Department should expect of any employee, much less a U.S. Attorney.”
The former prosecutor, Rachael Rollins, may have potentially violated US law as well, The Wall Street Journal reports. One of “the most egregious transgressions” she committed was a suspected Hatch Act violation, according to the office.
Rollins’ campaign for district attorney was reportedly backed by George Soros, who has a history of funding elections for local prosecutors, including George Gascon in LA.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who infamously drew media attention over her self-admitted phony claims of having American Indian ancestry, commented in a joint statement with fellow Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) that the findings surrounding Rollins were “deeply troubling” and indicated they support her stepping down.
“It’s powerfully important that public officials follow high ethical standards and the Justice Department’s work on behalf of Massachusetts will continue uninterrupted,” Markey and Warren said.
As was alluded to by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rollins’ nomination in 2021 proved to be contentious, as Vice President Kamala Harris had to step in and act as a tie-breaker for her to make it through a Senate vote. At the time, Republicans argued she is an extremist who will push policies that benefit violent criminals, pointing to her history as the district attorney in Suffolk County.
Cotton described her as not “only a pro-criminal ideologue,” but also someone with a “history of poor judgment and ethical lapses.”
Other alleged violations by Rollins reportedly include using her position of power to receive 30 free Boston Celtics tickets for local young basketball players while taking two for herself and phoning into a live radio show in December 2022 to talk about an imminent sentence for a defendant in a case she was recused from.
She also is alleged to have taken gifts in the form of nonfederal payment of travel expenses at least two separate times, used her personal cellular device to correspond with her workers on a regular basis, and of having joined a press conference with Democrat officials in response to the leaked Supreme Court decision that ultimately led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.