BUTTIGIEG’s Boston haul — There’s a new LOBBYIST in town — It’s CASINO TIME

Jun 21, 2019

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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's finally summer! TGIF.

BUTTIGIEG'S BOSTON HAUL — Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg raised close to $1 million for his campaign during a visit to Boston yesterday, according to several people familiar with his fundraising.

The South Bend, Ind., mayor held two fundraisers in Boston on Thursday — a grassroots event and a big-ticket dinner hosted by Jack Connors Jr., Sharon McNally and Bryan Rafanelli.

Buttigieg has already held several fundraisers in and around Boston this cycle, and he'll return to Massachusetts over the Fourth of July holiday to raise money in Provincetown. Earlier this year, Buttigieg raised close to $150,000 at a fundraiser hosted at the Boston home of Rafanelli and his partner Mark Walsh. The candidate known as 'Mayor Pete' also drew more than 1,000 people to Northeastern University in April, just as he was gaining popularity, and packed another 850 people into the Somerville Theater for a grassroots fundraiser weeks later.

The hosts of last night's fundraiser had said their goal was to raise $1 million when they sent out an invitation last month. I'm told around 350 people attended the fundraiser, where tickets cost $2,800 each. That math equals close to a million dollars, not including the less expensive fundraiser held later in the evening. Ticket prices ranged from $25 to $1,000 for that event.

This latest cash haul comes as the 2020 candidates get ready to close the books on the second quarter of the year, which ends June 30. The Buttigieg campaign has told top donors he raised $7 million in the month of April alone.

Buttigieg is one of the few top-tier presidential candidates holding traditional fundraisers this cycle. Sen. Elizabeth Warren swore off holding big-dollar events, even in her home state. Former Vice President Joe Biden held two fundraisers in Boston at the beginning of June, and California Sen. Kamala Harris has been courting donors here as well.

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TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends the Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence's "Prevention Summit" in Worcester. State Sen. Eric Lesser hosts a "Thrive After 55" wellness fair in Springfield. Rep. Seth Moulton attends Rep. Jim Clyburn's World Famous Fish Fry in South Carolina.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

- "State lawmaker charged campaign for $900 in Uber rides already covered by taxpayer funds," by Matt Stout Globe, Boston Globe: "An Arlington legislator agreed to forfeit $10,000 he loaned his campaign after state officials said he broke several campaign finance laws, including charging his political account for $900 in Uber rides that were already covered by taxpayer funds. Over two years, state Representative Sean Garballey also didn't disclose nearly $17,000 in donations he deposited into his campaign — and $14,000 that his campaign spent — all in violation of state law, according to an agreement the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance released Thursday. Garballey, a Democrat who first won his seat in 2008, will forgive $10,000 in loans he made to his campaign, pay $2,000 in fines, and stop using his account to pay for his trips to and from the State House, per the agreement."

- "BAKER OFFERS INTERIM BUDGET TO KEEP GOVERNMENT RUNNING," by Katie Lannan and Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "As lawmakers pad spending for the current fiscal year, Gov. Charlie Baker has filed legislation that would keep government open in case legislators are late again in delivering a fiscal 2020 state budget. After taking formal sessions off for the week, the Senate used an informal session attended by four senators Thursday to pass a $43 million fiscal 2019 spending bill. Over in the House, Baker quietly submitted a $5 billion interim budget to keep state government cash flowing if an annual budget is not in place by July 1. That bill (H 3910) is now before the House Ways and Means Committee, and is likely to be approved by the Legislature next week."

- "RISK ON THE RISE," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal:"More than 4,500 of the state's approximately 42,000 elevators don't comply with inspection requirements, exposing people to unknown dangers as they do everyday tasks like going to work and increasing the legal risks faced by commercial property owners. Among the findings of a five-month Business Journal investigation: From 2016 to 2018, nearly a dozen people were injured on passenger elevators whose inspection certificates had expired, according to a review of state records obtained through public records requests. And those numbers may reflect an underreporting of injuries, according to court filings."

- "GALVIN, HEALEY BEHIND ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION PUSH," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Declaring that "voting rights are civil rights," Attorney General Maura Healey told lawmakers Thursday that allowing people to register to vote and then cast ballots on Election Day would help populations often left out of the political process become more engaged. Healey joined Secretary of State William Galvin and advocates from more than a dozen organizations at a Joint Committee on Election Laws hearing, where she argued that the current 20-day registration deadline ahead of elections is an unnecessary barrier that drives down voter participation."

- "State police lab takes step toward providing breath test evidence," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "The embattled state police lab tasked with testing and oversight of Breathalyzer tests received a national accreditation Wednesday, moving it a step closer to presenting evidence against drunk drivers in court proceedings. The State Police Crime Lab's Office of Alcohol Testing was sidelined in January after Springfield Judge Robert Brennan found that it failed to release evidence to lawyers representing drunken driving defendants that showed around 400 Breathalyzer results were flawed."

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

- "Wu plans to press fare issue in July 1 system-wide canvass," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "LEANING INTO THE political potential of MBTA rider outrage, Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu plans to organize volunteers to canvass straphangers on July 1, the day a roughly 6 percent fare hike takes effect. The at-large councilor, who opposes the upcoming fare hike and has suggested making the whole T free to ride, hopes to engage commuters during the July 1 morning rush hour in a discussion about how to make transit more affordable and reliable."

- "After being rejected by the state, DiMasi is now a registered lobbyist at City Hall," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Not long after state officials rejected Salvatore F. DiMasi's application to lobby on Beacon Hill, the former House speaker and convicted felon sought another place to try his talents: City Hall. DiMasi registered to lobby with the city April 23 — a week after Boston's newly passed lobbying ordinance took effect and just a day after DiMasi appealed the secretary of state's rejection of his state bid, records shows. Boston's first-of-its-kind process, which operates separately from the state's, was launched amid concerns the city had no effective way to regulate who was peddling influence in City Hall."

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FROM THE HUB

- "After Controversy, Mass. Gaming Commission Chair Optimistic About Encore Casino's Opening," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News:"The Encore Casino in Everett will open its doors for the first time Sunday, amidst a flurry of fanfare and controversy. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) opened an investigation last year into whether Wynn Resorts could retain its license, in the wake of sexual assault allegations against former owner Steve Wynn. Though Wynn resigned from the company, questions still lingered about the culpability of Wynn Resorts' board of directors, and CEO Matthew Maddox, in covering up the allegations. In April, the commission ruled that it would allow Wynn Resorts to retain its license but fined the company $35 million."

- "MassDOT warns of Encore Boston Harbor opening with signs some call 'unnecessary ads,'" by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald:"The state's orange-lit highway signs alerting drivers to the grand opening of Encore Boston Harbor on Sunday is drawing heat from watchdogs, who say the "unnecessary ads" will end up bringing even more people and cars to swarm the $2.6 billion casino. The MassDOT road sign message boards — usually used to warn of winter storms and road closures — tell drivers "Encore opens June 23." The second phase of the signs — some placed as many as 20 miles away from the casino — tell drivers to expect traffic delays."

- "Mass. Prepares To Confront Gambling Addiction, Ahead Of Encore Casino Opening," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Israel Rosario worked as a craps dealer at Mohegan Sun for more than a decade. It was a fun job, he said, but concerns about some of the regulars gnawed at him. "They would just keep digging their own grave, losing more and more," he recalled. Sometimes, Rosario would talk to players about their gambling habits, "which would get me in trouble with the management, because I'm not supposed to tell them, 'Oh, no, take a break,' or 'Go do something else because you're losing too much.' This program didn't exist back then." "This program" is called GameSense, run by the nonprofit Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling. Rosario is now a GameSense adviser."

- "As Boston's Luxury Living Reaches New Heights, A Scramble To Fund Affordable Housing," by Stephanie Leydon, WGBH News: "It's not quite the height of the Prudential or the Hancock towers, but from 62 stories up in the $40 million One Dalton penthouse apartment, the view of Boston and its suburbs is equally as spectacular. One Dalton is the city's newest skyscraper and also the city's third-tallest building. And, along with changing the skyline, the developer hopes to set a new standard for something that's become synonymous with Boston — luxury living."

- "Massport narrows CEO field to 2," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY will decide between finalists Brian Golden and Lisa Wieland as the next chief executive of the quasi-public agency that oversees three airports, Boston seaports, and a substantial real estate portfolio. A former state representative from Boston, Golden has been chief executive of the Boston Planning and Development Agency since 2014, and he has held top positions in the US Department of Health and Human Services from 2007 to 2009 and at the state Department of Telecommunications and Energy before that."

ON THE STUMP

- "IHSSANE LECKEY BUILDS THE CASE FOR HER CAMPAIGN, AND FOR THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE," by Max L. Chapnick, DigBoston: "Toward the end of last month, Ihssane Leckey climbed the State House steps to greet nine hooded handmaids demonstrating in support of the proposed Roe Act. A week earlier, she launched a primary campaign against US Rep. Joe Kennedy in the Commonwealth's 4th Congressional District; her familiarity with the protestors affirmed the fact that she is not new to grass-roots politics: "I have been advocating for the Green New Deal and for Medicare for All and for equity in schools for a long time before I decided to run." For Leckey, the politics of this particular issue—"abortion is a human right"—is deeply personal."

DAY IN COURT

- "Judge blocks most ICE courthouse arrests," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "US DISTRICT COURT JUDGE INDIRA TALWANI approved a temporary injunction on Thursday blocking US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making civil arrests of undocumented individuals in and around district courthouses in Massachusetts. Siding with the district attorneys of Middlesex and Suffolk counties, Talwani granted an injunction barring ICE from implementing a directive put in place in January 2018. In her decision, she said ICE agents will be enjoined from 'civilly arresting parties, witnesses, and others attending Massachusetts courthouses on official business while they are going to, attending, or leaving the courthouse.'"

- "Court filing details texts accuser sent during alleged assault by Kevin Spacey in Nantucket bar," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "A newly released court filing in the criminal sexual assault case against actor Kevin Spacey shows a string of text messages exchanged between the accuser and his girlfriend during critical moments of his encounter with Spacey. Spacey faces a felony indecent assault and battery charge stemming from a July 2016 encounter with former WCVB-TV news anchor Heather Unruh's son at Nantucket's Club Car bar.

- "Mass. State Police OT fallout: Former trooper Gary Herman sentenced to 1 day in prison," by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com: "Gary Herman, a former Massachusetts State Police trooper, was sentenced to one day in prison Thursday for his part in the overtime abuse scandal that roiled the agency. Herman, who had worked for the state police for almost 20 years before he was suspended in March 2018, pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from an agency receiving federal funds in a Boston federal court in October 2018. He was sentenced to one day in prison, which was deemed already served, and one year of supervised released on Thursday."

WARREN REPORT

- "Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren Had a Secret Nonaggression Agreement. Is It Falling Apart?" by Gabriel Debenedetti, New York Magazine: "When Elizabeth Warren hosted Bernie Sanders at her place in Washington for a private meeting late on the second Wednesday of December, both senators finally came clean with what was, by that point, obvious but unspoken. They were almost certainly going to run for president. Neither tried dissuading the other — they'd long been allies on Capitol Hill, a political friendship more than a deep personal one, though little like the rivalry that many on the outside assumed. But they did make one agreement, multiple senior Democrats briefed on the conversation confirmed to New York: Warren and Sanders would not go after each other directly on the campaign trail. That's not what they wanted 2020 to be about."

- "Sanders is slowly sliding in polls — as Warren rises," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Senator Bernie Sanders boasted Wednesday that he welcomes "hatred" from corporate America. Well, the Democratic primary electorate is not feeling the bern that much either, lately. Sanders kicked off the 2020 campaign hoping to be next in a long line of second-place-finishers-turned-next-time-around nominees (Think Bob Dole in 1996, John McCain in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, and Hillary Clinton in 2016). And, at the beginning of this presidential cycle, it looked like the same thing could happen for Sanders, who finished second to Clinton in 2016."

TRUMPACHUSETTS

- "Neal criticizes Trump decision to roll back environmental regulations," by Ray Kelly, Springfield Republican: "U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Massachusetts, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, on Thursday sharply criticized President Donald Trump's decision to roll back Obama era regulations designed to curb the effects of climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday eliminated targets set by the Obama administration that would have required states to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. It would have hit coal power plants hard."

THE CLARK CAUCUS

- "UN health agency to remove controversial opioid guidelines," by Claire Galofaro, Associated Press: "The World Health Organization notified U.S. lawmakers Wednesday that it will discontinue two publications on prescribing opioid painkillers in response to allegations that the pharmaceutical industry influenced the reports. The pledge to remove the guidelines comes a month after U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark and Hal Rogers accused the WHO of being influenced by Purdue Pharma, the American manufacturer of the potent painkiller OxyContin."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

ALWAYS A DAY LATE WITH CHARLIE BAKER - THIS ISN'T LEADERSHIP! THANKS FOR PROTESTING!

- "DEMONSTRATE AS BAKER RECEIVES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "As Gov. Charlie Baker received an award Wednesday for leadership on clean energy, protestors called for him to do more to transition the state away from its reliance on fossil fuels. "To be honest, if the governor had been offering the leadership he's offering now 15 or 20 years ago, I think he would be deserving of a climate award," Craig Altemose of 350 Mass Action said Thursday. Altemose was one of about 75 people who gathered outside the Environmental Business Council of New England event for the demonstration, which also involved Mothers Out Front and the Sunrise Movement Boston. Protestors dubbed Baker #GovernorGas, criticized his support forfossil fuel infrastructure, and urged him to halt a controversial natural gas compressor station project in Weymouth."

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ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "ICE BREAKER," — Globe: "TRAVELERS' DILEMMA," "Trump OK'd Iran strike but pulled back."

FROM THE 413

- "Western Mass. 'Hilltowns' look for a foothold," by Catherine Tumber, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE ARRIVAL OF warmer weather means visitors will be flocking to the Berkshires, where a set of towns come to life as summer homes to renowned music and dance enterprises at Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow. They add to a year-round arts economy in the region anchored by the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. But visitors coming from the east, who generally zoom out the Mass Pike, are at best only vaguely aware of the nearby "Hilltowns" that dot the high hamlets and eastern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains."

- "Hail to the Clerk: Cambridge Draws Anthony Wilson from Springfield," by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass Politics & Insight:"Springfield City Clerk Anthony Wilson will depart later this summer after the Cambridge City Council selected him to be that city's next top record-keeping official. Cambridge councilors voted Monday to select Wilson. His departure was formally announced Thursday in a release from City Council President Justin Hurst outlining the succession process ."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

- SHARK WATCH: "Manchester-by-the-Sea officials say 'large shark' spotted offshore," by Adam Sennott, Boston Globe:"Officials in Manchester-by-the-Sea have issued a public warning after a "large shark" was spotted a short distance from shore, according to a statement issued Thursday. A resident reported seeing the shark near House Island on Wednesday, according to a joint statement issued by Interim Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald and director of parks and recreation Cheryl Marshall. "No sightings have been reported since then," the statement said."

MEDIA MATTERS

- "Boston Globe launches investigative education team with support from Barr Foundation," by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "The Boston Globe will launch an investigative team focused on public education in Massachusetts, an expansion of the Globe's editorial staffing that is being partially financed for the next two years by a $600,000 grant from the Barr Foundation. A dedicated editor and a team of reporters will explore educational programs that succeed and identify those that fail the students and communities they are supposed to serve."

TRANSITIONS - Yusufi Vali is the new director of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's Office for Immigrant Advancement.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Samantha Perlman, candidate for Marlborough city council at-large, who celebrated Tuesday. (h/t Brandon Klugman)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Woburn Rep. James Dwyer and Mason Reynolds, JD candidate at Harvard Law.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Sen. Elizabeth Warren; Matt Sheaff, director of communications and stakeholder outreach for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation; and Brendan Concannon , aide to Sen. Marc Pacheco; who all celebrate on Saturday, and to Matthew McDonough, Plymouth County register of probate, who celebrates Sunday.

MAZEL! to Natasha Lamb, Dr. Ioannis N. Miaoulis, Lora Pellegrini and Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera , who were announced as the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus 2019 Abigail Adams & Good Guys honorees.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

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