In a major political shakeup for the Commonwealth, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Rachael Rollins announced Tuesday that she will be resigning from her post after 16 months, following a months-long investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general.
The U.S. Office of Special Council on Wednesday sent a report to President Biden that alleges that Rollins "willfully violated the Hatch Act on multiple occasions, thereby exhibiting an extraordinary abuse of her power," a news release from the agency said.
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According to the OSC, Rollins was given a copy of the report on April 25, and was informed Tuesday that it would be made public Wednesday. The federal agency says that Rollins' lawyer announced her resignation plans shortly after she learned it would be publicly released.
The report claims that Rollins violated the Hatch Act by attending a political party fundraiser in her official capacity in July of 2022, and then repeatedly "attempted to sabotage the campaign of a political candidate by leaking non-public U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) information to the media to plant a story that the candidate she opposed was facing a DOJ investigation," the release said.
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Rollins is expected to submit a letter of resignation to President Biden by the end of the week, according to her attorney Michael Bromwich, who also said in a statement that Rollins "is incredibly proud of all her office has accomplished during that limited time, especially in the areas of gun violence and civil rights."
Reaction From Mass. Leaders to Rollins' Resignation
Senator Ed Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren released a joint statement following Tuesday's announcement.
“Rachael Rollins has for years dedicated herself to the people of Massachusetts and equal justice under the law," the statement said. "We will respect her decision."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu spoke to reporters about Rollins on Tuesday, and said she was surprised to hear to learn of the news.
"What I know of the U.S. Attorney here is that she's been a really important impactful partner here in the City of Boston," Mayor Wu said. "[She] has been present in a number of issues that have been important to the community."
Rollins previously served as Suffolk County District Attorney, which includes Boston in its jurisdiction.
"I know that she’s been a leader that has made a difference in Boston in many, many ways and there have been many spaces where no cameras are present, she was hard at work building community and making sure that city staff were being trained on how to recognize situations that might be related to human trafficking and the daily interactions that we have with the public," Mayor Wu added.
Justice Department Ethics Probe Into Rachael Rollins
Rollins has been the subject of an investigation by the inspector general's office for months. The Associated Press reported that the investigation was looking into her appearance last year at a Democratic National Committee fundraising event in Andover, which First Lady Jill Biden also attended. The AP also reported, citing people familiar with the investigation, that the probe was also looking into Rollins' possible use of a personal cell phone for business and a trip to California reportedly paid for by an outside group.
'Her Presence Has Become a Distraction'
The findings of the investigation by the Justice Department's watchdog are yet to be released, but Rollins decided to resign anyways.
"She is optimistic that the important work she started will continue but understands that her presence has become a distraction," her attorney's statement said. "The work of the office and the Department of Justice is far too important to be overshadowed by anything else."
Rollins will make herself available to answer questions "after the dust settles and she resigns," according to her attorney.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
