The Massachusetts state government has been sued over the selection of a nearly $2 billion deal to build a new courthouse in Springfield. The plaintiffs claim that conflicts of interest tainted the process, specifically citing the leadership role of John Barros, a partner with Rep. Ayanna Pressley's husband, Conan Harris.
According to the lawsuit, Barros' position as interim executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority created a conflict of interest. Several members of that agency's board also serve on the state agency responsible for selecting the winning contractor, Liberty Junction.
The lawsuit alleges that Barros failed to disclose his participation in the courthouse bidding process to the State Ethics Commission. Additionally, the Liberty Junction proposal was not updated to indicate that Barros had been appointed to a leading role on the MCCA.
The plaintiffs argue that this conflict of interest violated Massachusetts law, which generally bars state employees from having a direct or indirect financial interest in state contracts. The law requires state employees to make required disclosures to the State Ethics Commission and not participate in the contracting agency's work.
Gov. Maura Healey defended the bidding process, stating that it was a competitive procurement process that saved taxpayers the least amount of money. However, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance has called for the Healey administration to pause the deal and release relevant procurement records for review.
