In approximately two weeks, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will release the final 35 names of those awarded medical marijuana licensure in the state. Amongst the most notable seeking three such licenses is former Bay State Congressman William Delahunt. There appears to be a conflict of interest, however, as DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett once donated $500 to Delahunt’s PAC.
According to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, Bartlett contributed $500 to Delahunt’s political action committee in 2007. Should he be awarded at least one of the licenses up for grabs, it could be construed that Bartlett sold it to him.
The decision to whom licenses are distributed rests solely on Bartlett’s discretion.
“The public cannot have faith in the decisions made by the Department of Public Health because of the apparent conflict of interest for Commissioner Bartlett and the secrecy surrounding the awarding of licenses,” said Rob Cunningham, Executive Director of the MassGOP in a statement.
Placing the final decision in the hand of a single individual is an invitation for trouble, and the Patrick Administration is inviting lawsuits and a federal investigation. It’s disturbing that such a transparent process was developed to hand out casino licenses, but the state is handing out licenses to sell marijuana based on a closed door process tainted by conflicts of interest.
Patronage of this kind has run rampant in the commonwealth throughout the last few years. Former Commissioner of the Massachusetts Probation Service Jack O’Brien is charged with with racketeering, mail fraud and bribery indictments for his alleged role in coercing constituents and subservients to donate sums to political campaigns in exchange for awarding jobs to friends and family of the politicians behind said campaigns. He stands trial in February.
O’Brien has since been acquitted of separate state bribery charges, subsequently weakening his federal case.
Should Delahunt be awarded a license at the end of January, it seems only logical to expect an investigation into their prior relationship, both professional and personal, be launched. In the case of O’Brien, he was suspended and forced to resign prior to any hard evidence having been brought against him. It would only be right to expect the same treatment of Bartlett in hopes of keeping some kind of consistency in how state officials are held to a fair and equal standard.
BostInno reached out directly to the Department of Public Health for a comment on the matter but have yet to hear anything back.
