Rollins' 'Egregious' Abuse Of Power Broke Law, Reports Say

Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins broke federal law when she made false statements under oath to agents confronting her about leaking a non-public U.S. Department of Justice letter...

[A]fter federal agents acquired her text messages with the reporter...Rollins admitted to providing the letter...

Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner said Rollins' actions are "among the most egregious transgressions of the act that OSC has ever investigated."

"Ms. Rollins's abuse of her power within the federal justice system to achieve a political goal epitomizes the type of 'political justice' that Congress intended to prohibit," the 105-page report concludes. "There are no mitigating factors that would warrant an outcome short of disciplinary action."

These include: attending a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in July 2022 after being advised against it; leaking other non-public Justice Department letters; accepting free Boston Celtics tickets for herself and a subordinate; talking on live radio about a case she had been recused from, joining a political press conference about the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling, using her personal cell phone for work, and accepting donations to her Suffolk District Attorney campaign account after she was sworn in to federal office...

The inspector general found Rollins tried to convince First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy to issue a letter that would have created the impression that federal prosecutors were investigating Hayden for a connection with a coverup of misconduct...

When that plan failed...Rollins sent a Boston Herald reporter via text message a copy of the letter from the DOJ disclosing the recusal and a potential federal investigation of Hayden...

An attorney with the Office of the Inspector General interviewed Rollins...asked her point-blank if she was the... source for the Boston Herald's article.

Even Wikipedia currently states: I

n November 2022, the United States Department of Justice's inspector general opened a wide-ranging ethics probe into Rollins' appearance at a Democratic National Committee political fundraiser, her travel, and use of her personal cellphone.[34] The inspector general's 161-page report alleged a broad array of misconduct by Rollins. It accused her of disclosing to a journalist nonpublic information about a possible Justice Department investigation, soliciting and accepting 30 free tickets to a Boston Celtics game and accepting payment from a sports and entertainment agency for flights and a stay at a luxury resort.[35] According to the report, Rollins tried to influence the outcome of a race for the Suffolk County District Attorney.[36]

Another federal watchdog agency, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, found in its own investigative report that on multiple occasions Rollins violated the Hatch Act, a law that limits political activity by government workers. In a letter to President Joe Biden, Special Counsel Henry Kerner described Rollins' violations as among the "most egregious transgressions" of the law that the agency has ever investigated:[37] "In particular, her repeated efforts to leak non-public DOJ information for the purpose of harming a political candidate rank among the most flagrant violations of the Hatch Act that OSC has ever investigated," the report states. "The leak was an extraordinary breach of public trust by a senior government official, which threatens to erode confidence in the integrity of federal law enforcement actions."[37]

Rollins announced on May 16, 2023 that she would resign at the end of that week.[38][39]

However, this is consistent with her

proposed Charges To Be Declined (by United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts who was formerly Suffolk County District Attorney in Massachusetts) come close to this:

Charges To Be Declined

Charges for which the Default is to Decline Prosecuting (unless supervisor permission is obtained).

Trespassing
Shoplifting (including offenses that are essentially shoplifting but charged as larceny)
Larceny under $250
Disorderly conduct
Disturbing the peace
Receiving stolen property
Minor driving offenses, including operating with a suspend or revoked license
Breaking and entering — where it is into a vacant property or where it is for the purpose of sleeping or seeking refuge from the cold and there is no actual damage to property
Wanton or malicious destruction of property
Threats – excluding domestic violence
Minor in possession of alcohol
Drug possession
Drug possession with intent to distribute
A stand alone resisting arrest charge, i.e. cases where a person is charged with resisting arrest and that is the only charge
A resisting arrest charge combined with only charges that all fall under the list of charges to decline to prosecute, e.g. resisting arrest charge combined only with a trespassing charge

Instead of prosecuting, these cases should be (1) outright dismissed prior to arraignment or (2) where appropriate, diverted and treated as a civil infraction for which community service is satisfactory, restitution is satisfactory or engagement with appropriate community-based no-cost programming, job training or schooling is satisfactory. In the exceptional circumstances where prosecution of one of these charges is warranted, the line DA must first seek permission from his or her supervisor. If necessary, arraignment will be continued to allow for consultation with supervisor. Thus, there will be an avenue for prosecuting these misdemeanors when necessary but it will be appropriately overseen by experienced prosecutors.

Note: this is essentially already happening for drug possession cases in Roxbury and Dorchester District Court

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