Hurley says Allyn’s accusation is incorrect

Oct. 16, 2015 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD – Retired Judge Mary Hurley said there is no credence to a complaint made about her to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance by Attorney Shawn Allyn.

On Oct. 13, Allyn released an undated letter he had sent charged that Hurley had solicited “public employees for political contributions to her campaign,” a violation of state law.

Hurley said Allyn’s charge is “absolutely incorrect.”

Hurley announced her campaign to seek election to the position of Governor’s Council currently occupied by former Springfield Mayor Michael Albano.  She conducted her campaign kickoff on Oct. 14. The election is in 2016.

Hurley is the only announced candidate so far. Albano has not yet announced his plans.

Allyn wrote, “Candidate Hurley has disrespected the law in this particular circumstance and should be held to the highest level of accountability. As a lawyer and former judge, Ms. Hurley clearly knows the mandates of law. Ms. Hurley, however, appears to think she is above the law as she has solicited each and every employees of the city of Chicopee, Massachusetts by sending the enclosed email to each and every city of Chicopee employee.”

The email read, “On behalf of Mary Hurley you’re cordially invited to attend her campaign kickoff event on Oct. 14th at the MassMutual rom [sic] at the basketball Hall of Fame. Invitation attached, you may RSVP to this email. We hope you can join us.”

“Ms. Hurley should be prosecuted, fined to the maximum extend and order [sic] to return a contribution to public employees as defined under the statue.”

Hurley told Reminder Publications before she sent that email she checked with David Wilson, the deputy chief of the State Ethics Commission. She read the email to Wilson who asked her if she was charging anything to attend. She said she wasn’t.

Wilson said that under state law she could send the email.

She said that Allyn “seems to have a penchant to misstate facts.”
    

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