Pols & Politics: Rachael Rollins memo says no worries!

Records reveal disgraced former U S Attorney Rachael Rollins initially sought to downplay her attendance at the Democratic benefit event that prompted a federal probe telling her staff she had prior approval to meet with the ex-First Lady Rollins ultimately resigned from her role as the state s top prosecutor after being scorched in two federal reports that declared she abused her position including by violating the Hatch Act by attending a Democratic National Committee charity event in Andover that was headlined by former first Lady Jill Biden Residents records circulated by the Department of Justice this week after a Herald FOIA request show Rollins explained her staff nothing would come out of an review into her July DNC charity fundraiser appearance about a month after it was first informed by this publication You may have seen reports that there is an scrutiny into my brief meeting with First Lady Jill Biden in July Rollins wrote in an email to staff in the U S Attorney s office on Aug Two quick points I received prior approval to attend And I have instructed anyone contacted as part of the research to promptly truthfully and comprehensively cooperate with any inquiries Rollins added My only regret is that this might create a distraction from the exceptional work you each do for our Commonwealth every day The records also include two media communications sent to the U S Attorney s office by a Herald and Associated Press reporter along with a Herald newsletter that includes an article from July about a letter sent to the Department of Justice by U S Sen Tom Cotton after Rollins benefit attendance Cotton in his letter had demanded that the DOJ probe Rollins blatant violation of federal law or the Hatch Act which restricts partisan political activity of federal employees Right now following that reference is an email from an Associated Press reporter that was sent to the U S Attorney s office on Nov The AP is planning to summary through sources that U S Attorney Rollins is the subject of a sweeping ethics study prompted by her appearance at the DNC benefit event in Andover this summer the reporter wrote Rollins appearance was made residents after she was questioned by a Herald reporter while walking into the fundraising event about whether she thought her attendance was a violation of the Hatch Act Rollins gave a one-word answer No she noted and continued to walk up to the private home where the fundraising event was being held While the appearance prompted the probe other revelations in the DOJ reports were arguably more damning for Rollins The reports stated that she leaked sensitive information to the media about now-Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden in an attempt to influence the outcome of the DA s race in favor of his opponent ex-Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo The DOJ also warned that Rollins faced further discipline if she did not promptly quit She resigned in May after the reports were issued Rollins bounced back and now has a six-figure job with Roxbury Society College She is paid an annual salary of as a effort executive director Gayla Cawley Don t mess with longshoremen The local chapter of the International Longshoreman s Association ILA met Friday night in Florian Hall and it didn t go unnoticed that the Herald wrote about their endorsement of mayoral candidate Josh Kraft and the other rag in town didn t It was Kraft s first major endorsement we noted The ILA s Atlantic Coast District Vice President George McEvoy reported in Dorchester that when we endorsed Josh Kraft the Herald rated it the front page the Boston Globe wouldn t run it because they didn t consider us a major union They are an -member multi-coast union to be reckoned with It s going to be an exciting race and endorsements are part of the story We will continue to cover them leaving it up to the readers to call balls and strikes Yes a reference to Big Papi endorsing Mayor Michelle Wu this week We covered that too Joe Dwinell M haul for arts The Boston Arts Academy Foundation closed its six-year Building Our Future campaign with a staggering million raised from donors Wow All the proceeds go to Boston Arts Academy BAA an autonomous school within the Boston Population Schools The campaign funded a state-of-the-art media production project including a sound stage recording studio theater and technical tuition curriculum It took a lot of folks to pull this off for the students And of BAA graduates go to college Joe Dwinell