Boston City Councilor Frank Baker on Friday began the process of subpoenaing police and school records related to the sexual assault investigations into his colleague Councilor Ricardo Arrroyo, a candidate for Suffolk County district attorney.
The subpoena demands “any and all” relevant documents related to any investigation of Arroyo, who the Boston Globe has reported was subject to two police investigations. The subpoena would preserve the victims’ privacy by allowing redactions from police reports, school safety reports, restraining orders, victim statements and communications between city agencies and the Arroyo family.
Baker’s request will be filtered through Mayor Michelle Wu’s office. Wu, a former city councilor, endorsed Arroyo in early May and has said she is “watching” to see how the situation evolves.
The inquiry, which is dated for the council’s next meeting Aug. 31, comes days after Arroyo responded to questions regarding a pair of sexual assault investigations that came against him when he was a teenager and whether he was truthful on his application to the state bar association years later.
Baker said he believes the request is "definitely going to uncover something."
The Dorchester-area councilor has had a tense relationship with Arroyo and endorsed Arroyo’s opponent, interim DA Kevin Hayden, in the upcoming primary election. Baker shrugged off a suggestion that his inquiry was politically motivated, but suggested that a lack of action would serve the interests those who endorsed Arroyo.
“We’re talking about someone that’s involved in policy and involved in decisions for people of the City of Boston,” Baker said. “If this were a police officer, if this were a firefighter, if this were a custodian, we’d be calling for their removal,” he continued. “But because he's part of the political elite, he's left alone.”
Baker named the mayor and three of Arroyo’s prominent backers — Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey — as part of the elite. Pressley, Warren and Markey have failed to respond to requests for comment about the Globe's Arroyo investigation.
Baker's subpoena states it is in the interest of transparency “that the City Council has the necessary information in order or ensure the integrity of the body and the fitness of its members to serve in chairmanship positions.”
According to the council’s rules, only the council president may assign councilors to committee chair and vice chair positions.
Baker said he was not confident the president, or the council, would respond to the news of Arroyo’s investigations. He added that he would withdraw the subpoena if Council President Ed Flynn were to take separate action, presumably to remove Arroyo from his chairmanships.
Flynn did not respond to GBH News' request for comment.
Though all 13 councilors have not spoken publicly on the situation, the body is seemingly split. At-Large Councilor Erin Murphy has called for Arroyo to resign his seat, while at least two others, Kendra Lara and Tania Fernandes Anderson, have re-affirmed their endorsement of Arroyo by showing up beside him during a press conference earlier this week.
At-Large Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune and Julia Mejia, who both endorsed Arroyo, did not respond this week to GBH News' inquiries about whether they stand behind the endorsements.
East Boston Councilor Gabriela Coletta told GBH News that she, like Wu, is watching how the situation unfolds.
Baker said he had not discussed his action with his colleagues.
“I’m sure some of them are going to be ruffled feathers because they want the [story] buried. I think it's a serious charge,” Baker said.
Arroyo has denied the assault allegations and said he was not aware of any investigations prior to an inquiry about them from the Globe. He has since acknowledged the cases, saying that one from 2005 was deemed “unfounded.” An attorney for the victim in the other case from 2007 also read a statement alongside Arroyo this week declaring the councilor never assaulted her.
