Michael McLaughlin, 68, of Dracut, pleaded guilty Monday in Suffolk Superior Court to charges of Unlawful Solicitation by a Public Employee (4 counts), Solicitation in a Public Building (4 counts), and Conspiracy to Solicit in a Public Building (4 counts). The former executive director of the Chelsea Housing Authority (CHA) has now been sentenced in connection with unlawfully soliciting contributions from state employees and other individuals to support multiple campaigns, including the campaign of former Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.
Attorney General Martha Coakley commented on the case, stating: “fblikebutton_button” “McLaughlin exploited his position as head of the Chelsea Housing Authority to use the public agency as a base for political fundraising. This conduct violates campaign finance law and undermines the public’s trust.”
Following the guilty plea, Superior Court Judge Carol Ball sentenced McLaughlin to one year in the House of Correction, with six months to serve and the balance suspended for a probationary period of three years. Because his sentence is retroactive to his arraignment in September 2013, he will essentially serve no additional time for these crimes. McLaughlin is already serving four years for unrelated federal crimes that occurred during his 11-year CHA tenure, with one additional year added last Friday in Boston’s Federal Court.
The Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) initially investigated the illegal fundraising charges and referred the case to the AG’s Office for further investigation. The AG’s Office began its own investigation in 2012 into allegations of campaign finance violations concerning McLaughlin.
Between approximately 2008 and 2010, McLaughlin directed a CHA employee to solicit contributions from fellow CHA employees and others associated with the CHA to benefit the Citizens Committee to Elect Tim Murray (Murray Committee). He would identify specific CHA employees to be approached, and those employees understood the contribution request was coming from McLaughlin to support his preferred candidate.
McLaughlin organized and solicited CHA employees and others associated with the CHA to attend three Murray Committee fundraisers held in Methuen between 2008 and 2010. The CHA employee, following McLaughlin’s direction, collected political contributions for the Murray Committee before each fundraiser and distributed Murray Committee invitations to employees upon receiving their contributions. Employees were typically asked for $100 contributions, with cash often being the preferred payment method. Beyond CHA employees, McLaughlin also solicited contributions from numerous individuals in his personal and professional networks for each fundraiser.
All monies collected from CHA employees were delivered to McLaughlin along with a list of contributors.
During Federal Court proceedings last summer, former CHA Accountant and McLaughlin associate James McNichols testified that he was the individual directed to collect the campaign contributions for McLaughlin.
McLaughlin also solicited CHA employees to contribute to Israel Reyes’ campaign, a 2009 Lawrence mayoral candidate, and regularly asked CHA employees and others associated with the CHA to perform political work for the Murray Committee and Reyes, including holding signs, working at the polls, and other organizational tasks.
On August 29, 2013, a Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted McLaughlin. He was arraigned on Sept. 5, 2013 in Suffolk Superior Court. He was expected to plead guilty that same day but unexpectedly chose not to proceed. On Monday, however, he finally entered his guilty plea to the charges.