OnTheIssuesLogo

Martha Coakley on Government Reform

 

 


Fined for violating campaign finance laws

Attorney General Martha Coakley is calling on federal authorities to take a 'close look' into GOP gubernatorial rival Charlie Baker's role at a Cambridge firm and a $25 million deal it scored with New Jersey's public pension fund. It's raised questions of whether state or federal 'pay-to-play' rules were violated, though Baker has denied that, arguing that despite his title, he wasn't an employee of General Catalyst and has no role in the deals it makes. Coakley said oversight agencies, such as the SEC, should take a look into what she called 'troubling allegations' surrounding Baker and General Catalyst. A Baker spokesman said, 'Charlie has been completely transparent about this contribution and his association with General Catalyst. The fact remains that this contribution is permissible. This is politics over substance from Attorney General Coakley who was recently fined thousands of dollars for violating campaign finance laws.' (Boston Herald, 5/16/2014)
Source: Mass IEPAC: Research Profile on Charlie Baker, p. 64-65 , Sep 1, 2014

Paid $17,000 fine for using state vehicle for campaigning

Attorney General Martha Coakley did not reimburse Massachusetts for more than four years of travel to campaign and political events in a state vehicle, dating back to the month after her 2010 US Senate loss. But her campaign said it reimbursed the state Wednesday for $10,820.09 in gas and mileage expenses accrued during her 2010 reelection effort for attorney general, subsequent political events, and her gubernatorial campaign, which she launched in September.

Coakley's state political committee agreed to turn over more than $17,000 to charity as part of an agreement with campaign finance regulators announced last month. The state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance concluded that Coakley had violated Massachusetts campaign finance law by using her federal Senate funds for state political activities. (Boston Globe, 5/22/2014)]

Source: Mass IEPAC: Research Profile on Charlie Baker, p.165 , Sep 1, 2014

Enhance Super PAC donor disclosure and boost donation limits

A pending campaign finance reform bill would enhance Super PAC donor disclosure and boost donation limits to candidates. Republican Charlie Baker said he was generally supportive of the measure, but criticized what he called a special exemption for Democratic-leaning labor unions. Attorney General Martha Coakley, Treasurer Steve Grossman, and former federal health care administrator Don Berwick all said they support the bill, which would require super political action committees to report their donors within seven days of their expenditures. As primary and general election votes approach, those windows would close to every 24 hours. In seeking to shine light on shadowy sources of campaign financing, the bill, which would take effect immediately upon passage, could change how voters judge candidates based on the outside groups that are backing them.
Source: Mass IEPAC: Research Profile on Charlie Baker, p.250 , Sep 1, 2014

Promises to disavow super PAC money even if rivals don't

Baker says he will not "unilaterally disarm" by disavowing super PACs. But in a bold move that could trip up her front-runner status, Martha Coakley tells the Herald she'll publicly disavow any super PAC created to boost her bid for the Corner Office--even if her gubernatorial rivals embrace help from the big-money behemoths. Republican Charlie Baker said he's already defending himself against negative super PAC ads airing against him. "First of all, candidates don't actually control them, and secondly super PACs are already running ads against me and I'm certainly not gonna unilaterally disarm in the face of that kind of assault," he said. (Boston Herald, 6/2/2014)
Source: Mass IEPAC: Research Profile on Charlie Baker, p.248 q , Sep 1, 2014

Current FEC reporting on donors & meetings is enough

Khazei challenged all of his rivals to list their donors on their campaign Web sites, and divulge all of their meetings--both public and behind closed doors--if elected to the Senate.

Coakley said the campaign information was already on the Federal Election Commission Web site, while Capuano told Khazei he would not post his schedule because many people with personal problems want to meet with him. "If that's what you want to do, I will tell you, you will have a lot of people who will not come to see you," the congressman said.

On a matter of current events, the candidates were asked whether public figures should have an expectation to privacy. Capuano, Pagliuca and Khazei expressly said they personally had nothing to hide; but all said an examination of their lives was fair game. Coakley warned, however, that an excessive focus would deter people from running for political office.

Source: WBZ-TV on 2009 MA Senate Debate , Dec 2, 2009

Democracy's promise based on government working well for all

I have decided to run for Senate because government should work well, and work for everyone. This is the promise on which our democracy is based, and I believe it's time to renew that promise.

The performance of our government seems at times disheartening and discouraging. I believe now is the time to move beyond the idea of "good enough for government" and demand a new standard of excellence.

Source: Senate candidacy announcement speech , Sep 3, 2009

Other governors on Government Reform: Martha Coakley on other issues:
MA Gubernatorial:
Bill Weld
Bob Massie
Charlie Baker
Dan Wolf
Deval Patrick
Don Berwick
Jay Gonzalez
Karyn Polito
Lawrence Lessig
Marty Walsh
Richard Tisei
Steve Grossman
Tom Menino
Warren Tolman
MA Senatorial:
Brian Herr
Bruce Skarin
Ed Markey
Elizabeth Warren
Gabriel Gomez
John Kerry
Mo Cowan

Gubernatorial Debates 2017:
NJ: Guadagno(R) vs.Phil Murphy(D, won 2017 primary) vs.Ray Lesniak(D, lost 2017 primary) vs.Mayor Steve Fulop(declined Dem. primary, Sept. 2016) vs.Lesniak(D) vs.Wisniewski(D) vs.Ciattarelli(R) vs.Rullo(R)
VA: Gillespie(R) vs.Perriello(D) vs.Wittman(R) vs.Wagner(R) vs.Northam(D)
Gubernatorial Debates 2018:
AK: Walker(i) vs.(no opponent yet)
AL: Kay Ivey(R) vs.Countryman(D) vs.David Carrington (R) vs.Tommy Battle (R)
AR: Hutchinson(R) vs.(no opponent yet)
AZ: Ducey(R) vs.David Garcia (D)
CA: Newsom(D) vs.Chiang(D) vs.Villaraigosa(D) vs.Delaine Eastin (D) vs.David Hadley (R) vs.John Cox (R) vs.Zoltan Istvan (I)
CO: Ed Perlmutter (D) vs.Johnston(D) vs.Mitchell(R) vs.Cary Kennedy (D) vs.George Brauchler (R) vs.Doug Robinson (R)
CT: Malloy(D) vs.Drew(D) vs.Srinivasan(R) vs.David Walker (R)
FL: Gillum(D) vs.Graham(D) vs.Mike Huckabee (R) vs.Adam Putnam (R)
GA: Kemp(R) vs.Casey Cagle (R) vs.Hunter Hill (R) vs.Stacey Abrams (R)
HI: Ige(D) vs.(no opponent yet)
IA: Kim_Reynolds(R) vs.Leopold(D) vs.Andy McGuire (D) vs.Nate Boulton (D)
ID: Little(R) vs.Fulcher(R)
IL: Rauner(R) vs.Kennedy(D) vs.Pawar(D) vs.Daniel Biss (D) vs.J.B. Pritzker (D)
KS: Brewer(D) vs.Wink Hartman (R)
MA: Baker(R) vs.Gonzalez(D) vs.Setti Warren (D) vs.Bob Massie (R)
MD: Hogan(R) vs.Alec Ross (D) vs.Richard Madaleno (D)
ME: (no candidate yet)
MI: Whitmer(R) vs.El-Sayed(D) vs.Tim Walz (D)
MN: Coleman(D) vs.Murphy(D) vs.Otto(D) vs.Tina Liebling (DFL) vs.Tim Walz (DFL) vs.Matt Dean (R)
NE: Ricketts(R) vs.(no opponent yet)
NH: Sununu(R) vs.Steve Marchand (D, Portsmouth Mayor)
NM: Grisham(D) vs.(no opponent yet)
NV: Jared Fisher (R) vs.(no opponent yet)
NY: Cuomo(R) vs.(no opponent yet)
OH: DeWine(R) vs.Schiavoni(D) vs.Sutton(D) vs.Taylor(R) vs.Jim Renacci (R) vs.Jon Husted (R) vs.Connie Pillich (D)
OK: Gary Richardson (R) vs.Connie Johnson (D)
OR: Brown(D) vs.Scott Inman (D)
PA: Wolf(D) vs.Wagner(R)
RI: Raimondo(D) vs.(no opponent yet)
SC: McMaster(R) vs.McGill(R) vs.Pope(R)
SD: Noem(R) vs.Jackley(R)
TN: Green(R) vs.Dean(D)
TX: Abbott(R) vs.(no opponent yet)
VT: Scott(R) vs.(no opponent yet)
WI: Walker(R) vs.Harlow(D)
WY: (no candidate yet)
Newly-elected governors (first seated in Jan. 2017):
DE-D: Carney
IN-R: Holcomb
MO-R: Greitens
NH-R: Sununu
NC-D: Cooper
ND-R: Burgum
VT-R: Scott
WV-D: Justice

Retiring 2017-18:
AL-R: Robert Bentley(R)
(term-limited 2018)
CA-D: Jerry Brown
(term-limited 2018)
CO-D: John Hickenlooper
(term-limited 2018)
FL-R: Rick Scott
(term-limited 2018)
GA-R: Nathan Deal
(term-limited 2018)
IA-R: Terry Branstad
(appointed ambassador, 2017)
ID-R: Butch Otter
(retiring 2018)
KS-R: Sam Brownback
(term-limited 2018)
ME-R: Paul LePage
(term-limited 2018)
MI-R: Rick Snyder
(term-limited 2018)
MN-D: Mark Dayton
(retiring 2018)
NM-R: Susana Martinez
(term-limited 2018)
OH-R: John Kasich
(term-limited 2018)
OK-R: Mary Fallin
(term-limited 2018)
SC-R: Nikki Haley
(appointed ambassador, 2017)
SD-R: Dennis Daugaard
(term-limited 2018)
TN-R: Bill Haslam
(term-limited 2018)
WY-R: Matt Mead
(term-limited 2018)
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Local Issues
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty

 





Page last updated: Jul 20, 2017