What You Need to Know: Marty Walsh

It’s no secret Joe Biden’s nominee for labor secretary and Boston Mayor, Marty Walsh, has made a career out of cozying up to labor unions. In fact, his mayoral staff has gone to extreme lengths to ensure Walsh didn’t lose his pro-union persona.

“One of the big topics of the Boston mayoral race has been whether state representative Marty Walsh is too much of a union guy to be trusted with the position of negotiating contracts with the unions that work for the city.” –Boston Magazine

“Weeks after Walsh took office in 2014, the new mayor made a seemingly harmless appearance on the hit reality TV show ‘Top Chef.’ Brissette, the city’s top tourism official, learned that the show’s staff was non-union and grew worried that Walsh’s appearance could backfire with his base.

“Brissette told a colleague who later testified in court that he would fix the situation by seizing the show’s footage or withholding public permits.” –Bloomberg

Walsh’s loyalty to unions made headlines once again after City Hall popped up in a federal case alleging that a member of Walsh’s administration “warned” a Boston hotel and restaurant of possible protests if they allowed “Top Chef” to film at their locations.

“Can Marty Walsh stay out of the pocket of the unions?…questions about Walsh’s loyalty came roaring back last week after two sentences about City Hall’s role showed up in a federal indictment accusing members of Teamsters Local 25 of extortion.” –The Boston Globe

“Neither the demonstration nor the act of tipping off the businesses is illegal, but the fact that US Attorney Carmen Ortiz flagged a possible role by City Hall raises questions. How exactly did City Hall deliver the message? Did Walsh or his administration in some way condone the alleged bad behavior of the Teamsters, which Ortiz described as ‘old school thug tactics’?” –The Boston Globe

“But in this case, his actions are saying a lot, as City Hall lawyered up and hired Brian Kelly, a former federal corruption prosecutor to conduct an internal investigation and to answer questions from the feds.” –The Boston Globe

Two members of Walsh’s administration were later indicted on new extortion charges for withholding permits from the organizers of a Boston music festival after they declined to hire unionized workers.

“The indictment outlines that the two men, shortly after assuming their roles, approached Crash Line Productions about hiring union workers for the music festival. Again, the production company declined. The company then waited three months to receive needed permits from the city, prosecutors said, and did not receive them.” – WBUR News

And most recently, reports have uncovered that Walsh’s campaign has paid more than $1 million to LB Strategies, a consulting firm employing his girlfriend.

“Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, President-elect Biden’s nominee for secretary of labor, paid his girlfriend’s fundraising consulting firm over $1 million, campaign filings show. The payments account for more than half of LB Strategies’ political business since 2013. Payments have steadily increased over the years, but since May 2019 the campaign’s account has paid the firm $14,650 each month.” – Fox News

“Lorrie Higgins, Walsh’s girlfriend, has served as a fundraising consultant for the company since 2014, according to her LinkedIn page. The small company oversees the operations of Walsh’s campaign office and campaign mailings, as well as scheduling, managing, and attending his fundraisers, among other tasks, Walsh spokesperson Megan Costello told the Boston Globe in 2019. She said the duties go beyond what LB Strategies provides for other clients.” –Fox News

“Higgins joined LB Strategies in March 2014, two months after Walsh took office, when he reached an agreement making the firm a regular part of his campaign operations. That included paying a monthly $5,000 fee, a move Walsh’s campaign said allowed Bosio to pay recently hired staff, including Higgins, on a regular basis.” –The Boston Globe

Bottom line: The American people deserve to know about Marty Walsh’s constant entanglement in scandal and ethical controversy throughout his time in office. Walsh isn’t fit to lead a federal agency if he proves unable to properly explain these issues at his confirmation hearing.