Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell hit back at accusations of political evasiveness from the state’s chief government accountability officer Wednesday, intensifying an ongoing and public dispute between two of the state’s top officials. The dispute began over whether Campbell would represent State Auditor Diana DiZoglio in a legal action to move the voter-mandated audit of the legislature forward.
“I’m not going to be distracted by the auditor,” Campbell said, adding that she intends not to discuss the issue anymore.
“I fully support the will of the people and now there’s a dispute between the legislature and the auditor, we’re addressing that,” Campbell added during an appearance on GBH’s Boston Public Radio. “But to demonize me and my team in the process, to demonize the legislature, demonize people in the process, we don’t do that.”
Campbell’s comments come one week after DiZoglio told GBH News she’s eyeing strategies to force the attorney general to assist in her ongoing standoff with the legislature. Auditor DiZoglio had previously called on Campbell to bring legal action against state law makers who have so far resisted DiZoglio’s attempts to start auditing.
In the days since DiZoglio’s disclosure, the two women have engaged in a public tit-for-tat through statements and social media.
On Wednesday, Campbell said DiZoglio has not completed the required preliminary inquiry that would solidify the Attorney General’s decision in the matter.
“We ask this of every state agency that asks us to represent them. There’s a long list of questions and work we have to do, she has not provided that,” Campbell said. “That is not public because those things are subject to attorney client privilege. And to get out here and suggest that we are standing in the way of transparency…is unfair.”
In response, DiZoglio doubled down on her accusations against Campbell.
“So, let me get this straight — 72% of voters approved this law, but the AG is blaming me, a non-attorney, for her inaction on behalf of the law and the people?” DiZoglio said in a statement to GBH News. “We’ve done all we can, we’ve answered all we can, but the wagons have been circled. I hate to say it but she’s just not going to support us.”
Campbell’s comments also came a day after DiZoglio accused her of trying to “scapegoat” the auditor’s office over the controversial MBTA Communities Act – a law that Campbell’s office has prioritized and that DiZoglio’s recently labeled as an unfunded mandate.
Campbell said Wednesday DiZoglio’s assertion about the zoning law was “wrong” and harmful to Massachusetts.
“The letter from the auditor saying that is an unfunded mandate has set us back, and now we have municipalities suing the state,” said Campbell. “People should be concerned because it’s taxpayer dollars and resources and human capital we have to take to now defend the state against what we know to be inaccurate on the law.”
Campbell also shared that there are no current actions against Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria who, according to a recent report from the state inspector general’s office, improperly received $180,000 through a misapplication of the city’s longevity ordinance.
