Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
DiZoglio compares Mass. Legislature to an ‘authoritarian regime’ for ducking audit
The auditor has also hired a law firm to pursue litigation to force compliance, clashing with the attorney general who said it would be "dismissed immediately.”
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has hired a lawyer to pursue an audit of the Massachusetts Legislature as state leaders continue to thwart her efforts — actions that she compared to the Trump administration.
Last year, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure which gave DiZoglio, a Democrat, and future state auditors the power to audit the Legislature.
But, the auditor has yet to be successful. The Legislature itself refused to participate in her first audit before the ballot question, and House leaders have indicated they will not comply in the future.
During an appearance with Boston Public Radio, DiZoglio slammed the lack of transparency from the Legislature, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s refusal to represent her in court.
Advertisement:
“We talk about authoritarian regimes in DC. What about here on Beacon Hill? There is an authoritarian regime in the legislature on Beacon Hill right now,” she said. Her comments came after host Jim Braude brought up the federal government and called the lack of an audit “a constitutional crisis”
The Legislature has refused to ask the Supreme Judicial Court for an opinion on the legality of her audit, DiZoglio added.
“It is a dictatorial style of government. It is not democratic. It is, in fact, antidemocratic,” DiZoglio continued. “We’re just trying to get before a court right now, and we can’t even get our constitutional right to get an impartial hearing recognized by the top law enforcement agency of this Commonwealth.”
Advertisement:
The auditor has hired a law firm to sue to force the Legislature to comply, DiZoglio said on BPR and on X, “since AG Campbell is opposed to the audit.”
“I believe that she would prefer that we didn’t have access to court,” DiZoglio said, referring to Campbell. “The number one goal of everybody involved in this on Beacon Hill is to keep us out of the courtroom, so that we can’t get a decision, so that this will linger on forever.”
Previously, Campbell’s office has said DiZoglio lacks the authority to audit the Legislature without lawmakers’ permission. As DiZoglio threatens to sue, the AG its office has also requested the auditor provide information for what she specifically wants to audit, Campbell’s office told Boston.com Sunday.
“Massachusetts state law is clear that any lawful litigation brought by state officials or state entities must be authorized by the Attorney General’s Office,” a spokesperson for the attorney general said. “Any unauthorized litigation initiated by the Auditor will be dismissed immediately.”
DiZoglio said her team is “using precedent to be able to try to get access to court,” but, when pressed, declined to name the precedent and referred to her legal team.
Advertisement:
The AG’s office said its team is waiting for the auditor to provide information about the scope of her audit “despite repeated requests by the AGO.”
DiZoglio responded to those comments on BPR, saying she will be seeking “financial documents and state contracts.”
“Those are certainly not off limits, not just to me. They shouldn’t be off limits to any tax paying resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” she said, added that she is working toward public records law reform.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com