Office of Political Finance Clears Marlborough Republicans of Corruption

The Marlborough Republican City Committee announced Monday that after an investigation, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) has dismissed a complaint filed against them in late February by the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee.

In a letter addressed to Marlborough Republican chairman Paul Ferro, the OCPF said the committee was within the law when . 

“There is no reason to believe that (the) committee violated the campaign finance law," said the letter. “In addition, a local party committee may make contributions to candidates outside of the municipality in which the committee is organized.”

Ferro welcomed the news.

"As I have stated previously, the Democrats complaint was completely without merit, and outright laughable," said Ferro in a statement. "It is a pity that Democrat chairman John Walsh chose to waste OCPF’s time on a complaint he knew to be completely baseless. If Mr. Walsh spent as much vigor rooting out Democratic Party corruption on Beacon Hill, perhaps the Massachusetts Democrat Party wouldn’t be considered, as the Boston Herald called it, a ‘criminal enterprise.’”

State Democrats were not pleased with the decision.

"The Marlborough Republican City Committee's money shuffle is just one part of a state-wide multi-step financial scheme designed to skirt the spirit of our campaign finance laws," said Kevin Franck, the group's spokesperson in an email to Marlborough Patch. "Republican Rep. Paul Adams has already admitted that he broke the law and remains under investigation for his role in this scheme. Whether they are breaking the law or finding loopholes in it, Republicans have clearly designed a scheme that allows anonymous donors to influence local elections."

Ferro said the committee will continue to support candidates in both local and state elections in 2012.

 “I look forward to the Marlborough Republican City Committee being as effective at electing quality, reform-minded Republican candidates to State and local office in 2012 as we were in 2010 and 2011," he said. "I hope all Republicans in the city of Marlborough will join what the Massachusetts Republican Party labeled ‘a highly effective group.’”

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