On Wednesday, two government investigative reports, one by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and the other by the independent U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), outlined several ethics violations committed by Rachael Rollins, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Rollins, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden as the first Black woman to hold the position of U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, was found to have misused her Justice Department position to interfere in a local district attorney election. She allegedly leaked damaging information about a political rival to newspapers.
The inspector general's report, spanning 161 pages, was highly critical and highlighted numerous instances of ethical misconduct. These included Rollins inappropriately attending a Democratic fundraising event with U.S. first lady Jill Biden, improperly leveraging her role as a prosecutor. The report also accused Rollins of knowingly and willfully making false statements during her interview with Horowitz's office.
In December, Inspector General Horowitz forwarded the allegation of a false statement to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution. However, the reports indicated that officials decided not to pursue the matter.
The OSC report concluded that Rollins "willfully violated" the Hatch Act, which limits federal employees' political activities. It characterized her case as one of the most severe Hatch Act violations ever investigated by the OSC.
Rollins is a prominent figure in the "progressive prosecutor" movement, advocating for policies addressing racial disparities within the justice system. The investigations were initiated following a request from Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton.
According to the reports, Rollins interacted with Ricardo Arroyo, a progressive-leaning Democrat who ran in the party's primary election for the Suffolk County district attorney position in 2022. Rollins had vacated the place when she assumed her role as U.S. attorney. However, Arroyo's rival, moderate Democrat Kevin Hayden, emerged as the winner and currently serves as the district attorney for the county.
