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Posted by: Wolfman

Judge nominee’s hubby exceeded donation limit
By Laurel J. Sweet
Friday, July 27, 2007

The lawyer husband of Supreme Judicial Court nominee Margot G. Botsford last year donated to Gov. Deval Patrick’s campaign fund three times the maximum amount of money allowed by law, state records indicate.
And Patrick, who announced Superior Court Judge Botsford’s appointment to the state’s highest court yesterday, hasn’t paid it back, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
“Let me be clear: Political contributions played no role in the selection of Judge Botsford,” Patrick’s spokesman, Kyle Sullivan, told the Herald last night. “As reflected by the universal positive response to her nomination, there is no person more qualified for this position.”
Liz Morningstar, executive director of Patrick’s political committee, said the matter is being reviewed. “If we find anything that was inadvertently given or incorrectly reported we’ll refund any over-contribution immediately,” Morningstar said.
An audit of Patrick’s election finances is pending, OCPF Deputy Director Brad Balzer said.
Between Jan. 30 and Sept. 30, 2006, a review of OCPF records shows that Boston attorney S. Stephen Rosenfeld, longtime chief of staff and legal counsel to former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, contributed $1,500 to Patrick’s campaign, $1,000 above the $500 allowed from one individual to another in a single calendar year.
Rosenfeld, 66, of Jamaica Plain, also gave $600 toward the election of Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray between April 8 and Oct. 3, 2006, $100 above the limit. Murray, who presides over meetings of the Governor’s Council, which is charged with investigating and confirming Botsford’s nomination, has also not refunded Rosenfeld’s excess generosity.
Rosenfeld donated an additional $4,500 to the Democratic State Committee on Oct. 2, 2006, $500 below the $5,000 permitted.
A request for comment during a brief conversation with Rosenfeld was abruptly disconnected yesterday. He did not return subsequent calls.
Balzer said it’s not “uncommon” for such mix-ups to occur, but the onus is on both the donor and the candidate’s handlers to make sure they don’t happen.
“With the volume of contributions coming in, sometimes things slip through the cracks,” Balzer said.
Governor’s Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning said, “You’ve got to be squeaky clean when you’re a judge. You and everybody around you.”

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Patrick’s nominee for the SJC a real blast from Dukakis’ past
By Howie Carr
Boston Herald Columnist
Friday, July 27, 2007

For her 60th birthday, Superior Court Judge Margot Botsford doesn’t get diamonds, she gets a seat on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
But of course her promotion by Gov. Deval Patrick has absolutely nothing to do with the thousands of dollars her husband has made in contributions to the new governor, the tubby new lieutenant governor and the Democratic state committee, which is run by the even tubbier former campaign manager for the new administration.
No, the native of New York (where else?) was selected after the traditional nationwide search, to use a term popular in the era from which Judge Botsford sprang - the Dukakis years.

Full Story: http://news.bostonherald.com/columni...icleid=1013677

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Posted by: Killjoy

Nice...just what we need in Mass...more ultra-left wing liberal judges telling us how the Constitution changes every two years....Cadillac Deval is a clown.

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Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:

Originally Posted by Killjoy Nice...just what we need in Mass...more ultra-left wing liberal judges telling us how the Constitution changes every two years....Cadillac Deval is a clown.

I tried to tell you...but you went ahead and voted for him anyway!

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