Union chief goes to OCPF

A labor leader has leveled a campaign finance complaint against a business-backed group for its support of proposed ballot questions that would offer tax cuts and trigger state refunds, alleging that the group is “failing to disclose the true source” of contributions.

A spokesperson for the group, Massachusetts Opportunity Alliance, called the allegations “baseless.”

Harris Gruman, executive director of the SEIU Massachusetts State Council, filed the complaint Thursday with regulators at the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance. The committee backing two ballot questions, “Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts,” disclosed in-kind contributions totaling $1.6 million from the Massachusetts Opportunity Alliance, all for signature-drive services. MOA, which is supported by the Mass. High Tech Council, the Pioneer Institute and the CEO-laden Mass. Competitive Partnership, does not have to disclose donors as a 501(c)6 organization.

Gruman, who is also heading up the opposition committee, called MOA a “dark money” group in a statement. In his letter to OCPF, he pointed to a key organization that’s part of MOA, the Mass. High Tech Council, which has the same address as the ballot committee’s address, and the committee’s chair and treasurer is the same as the MHTC’s treasurer.

“I recently received information from an informed source (who must remain confidential at this time) that MOA has informed its donors that funds will be used for a ‘ballot strategy,’” Gruman wrote. “MOA actually solicited my source himself for that purpose.”

According to Gruman, that means MOA is an unregistered ballot question political committee and violated campaign finance law by receiving contributions without disclosing contributors.

“These are baseless accusations,” a MOA spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “MOA has been fully compliant with state rules and guidelines in consultation with OCPF.”

Gruman wrote that the allegations mirror what happened during a failed charter school expansion in 2016. A group that funneled money towards the effort had to pay more than $425,000 as part of a settlement.

While Gruman pressed OCPF to move “promptly” ahead of the 2026 election, the results of investigations tend to take some time. The charter school affair he referenced was not publicly resolved until 2017.

So many ballot questions, so little time. As election season heats up, tips are always welcome: gin@massterlist.com.

HAPPENING TODAY

10:00 | Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the release of a new report from the Boston Public Health Commission examining life expectancy among Black residents as part of BPHC’s Live Long and Well Agenda. Mayor Wu will also announce new investments and initiatives aimed at addressing health disparities impacting Black residents. | Yawkey Boys and Girls Club of Roxbury, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury

11:00 | Black and Latino Legislative Caucus holds annual Black Excellence on the Hill Awards. “The MBLLC believes excellence deserves to be seen, celebrated, and supported. The Black Excellence Awards is our way of honoring the leaders, creators, and changemakers who continue to elevate our community,” the caucus said in a Feb. 6 Instagram post. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll gives remarks. | Great Hall, State House, Boston

11:00 | Sen. Ed Markey holds press conference to announce introduction of legislation that would “strengthen the right to due process by addressing the urgent need for legal representation in immigration cases,” according to his office, which added that “immigrants lack the right to government-appointed counsel in immigration proceedings, forcing many to navigate a complex legal system alone. | JFK Federal Building, Conference Room 900B, 15 New Sudbury St, Boston

POLITICAL INTEL

We reported earlier this week on Sports Betting Alliance, supported by FanDuel and DraftKings, releasing a poll conducted by Beacon Research that showed the legalization of online casino gambling drawing support from Massachusetts voters across party lines. The gambling group is pushing lawmakers to take up bills regulating the industry. Not so fast, legalization opponents say. David Nangle, a former state rep from Lowell who lost his career due to a gambling addiction, reached out about his own group’s poll. Nangle’s recently formed group, Stop iGaming in Massachusetts (SIGMA), had Emerson College Polling do a survey of residents in January, and he said it was opposed by more than half of all residents, and 77% of those over the age of 60. “Unlike a physical casino, iGaming never closes,” he said. “Just a virtual casino in your pocket 24/7.” Nangle said attorney RJ Lyman reached out to him about heading up the group, which formed last year. Nangle declined to say who is funding his group, beyond “concerned citizens” ….

…Lynnfield businessman John Beccia, one of the many candidates running for Seth Moulton’s open congressional seat, launched a “listening tour” this week, with plans to hit the 39 northeast Massachusetts cities and towns in the district. Downfield Strategies, founded by Eric Koch in 2021 and a roster of clients that has included Rep. Jake Auchincloss, is handling Beccia’s media strategy….

….Like many this week, Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) went stir-crazy after the blizzard buried parts of Massachusetts, particularly the South Coast region he hails from. “I don’t remember the last time I was so excited about coming into session,” Rodrigues told his colleagues on Thursday as they took up a higher education borrowing bill. “I waded through waist deep snow. It was waist deep when I left my house. By the time I got to the road it was shoulder height. We had 41 inches of snow in my town. It was unbelievable. But thanks to Kyle [Neves, aide de camp], he picked me up, acted as my driver. My wife just texted me, it’s plowed out now, finally.” (Hat tip to my State House News colleague Sam Drysdale for this one.)

FROM BEACON HILL

CLIP AND SAVE: House Democrats defended their proposal to cut $1 billion out of the energy efficiency program called Mass Save included in an energy bill they sent to the Senate yesterday. One environmental advocate said it would “utterly devastate and probably break the program.” – CommonWealth Beacon

AI OVERLORD DEAL: Gov. Maura Healey announced an agreement with Google to provide free AI training for every resident in Massachusetts. Small businesses that lack the resources to invest in training may benefit from the program, she said. – Axios Boston

2026 CAMPAIGN FIX

BALLOT QUESTION CLEANUP: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who has voiced concern about the way the rent control ballot question is written but plans to vote for it, told WBUR it’s an opportunity to get the attention of Beacon Hill, which could then rewrite it. “They have gone back in to adjust the parameters, recognizing it as an expression of the will of the people, that something needs to change on this front,” she said. – WBUR

THE LONGSHOTS: Political newcomers have pulled paperwork to set up runs for governor as Democrats, including Seartch Delva, a 24-year-old Haitian immigrant and North Shore Community College graduate. – Newburyport News

NEWS NEXT DOOR

BLIZZARD AFTERMATH: Gov. Maura Healey visited Fall River as regional bus service was cancelled, schools in New Bedford are closed until Monday, and garbage collection is off until next week. “We’re not out of this yet,” she said. – New Bedford Light

BATTERY ENERGY: A state siting board gave zoning exemptions to Jupiter Power, which is seeking to build a massive battery energy storage system at a former ExxonMobil oil terminal in Everett. Massachusetts is looking to procure up to 5,000 MW of energy storage in the next four years. – Boston Business Journal

BUS STOP, BUS GOES: Almost two decades after a similar project drew controversy – who remembers “Route 28X”? – the concept of a center bus lane down Boston’s Blue Hill Avenue was at the center of a city council fight this week. – Universal Hub