Support WBUR
Boston's Morning Newsletter
What do DraftKings and this paving company have in common?
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
The Red Sox play their final spring training game today before the MLB regular season begins Thursday. Coincidentally, if you donate to WBUR today for our spring fundraiser, you can get this exclusive WBUR baseball hat.
Now, to the news:
Into the darkness: The number of so-called dark money groups trying to influence elections and policy in Massachusetts is growing, according to a new WBUR investigation. Officially known as 501(c)(4)s, these nonprofit groups can raise unlimited money from undisclosed donors and use it to produce ads or donate it to other groups (though they cannot donate the money directly to candidates). One Commonwealth, a 501(c)(4) group launched by Gov. Maura Healey's allies in 2024 to support her housing agenda, raised $748,000 in its first year. The group declined to disclose its donors. WBUR's Patrick Madden was able to identify two of them anyway.
- The donors: Peckham Industries, a New York road-paving firm, donated $10,000 to One Commonwealth in 2024. And as WBUR first reported in December, Boston-based sports betting giant DraftKings donated $50,000 last June.
- Why it matters: Campaign finance experts say the donations ring alarm bells about private interests secretly trying to curry favor with politicians. Even if the public doesn't know the identity of the group's donors, they say it's a good bet people on the inside do. “What does DraftKings care about housing? What does a paving company care about housing?" Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor at UMass Boston, told Patrick. Since Healey took office, a Peckham Industries subsidiary has won more than $25 million in MassDOT contracts — though it's worth noting the firm was the lowest bidder on all of them and there is no evidence the donations influenced the awards. Meanwhile, DraftKings has a major interest in sports betting proposals being considered on Beacon Hill.
- What they're saying: Peckham Industries CEO Damian Murphy told Patrick that they make donations to support issues important to their employees and their families. DraftKings, meanwhile, did not respond to requests for comment.
- Zoom out: One Commonwealth is just one of at least 10 dark money groups that have cropped up in Massachusetts since 2024. Others involved in local elections include a think tank that's fueled criticism of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and a group behind the proposed state ballot question this fall that would roll back recreational marijuana sales. Read Patrick's full investigation here.
On Beacon Hill: State Rep. Brad Jones, the longtime Republican minority leader in the Democrat-dominated House, announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection this fall. Jones first took office in 1995, and has held the leadership position since 2002. But the 61-year-old North Reading lifer said he's ready for his "next chapter."
- The reaction: Members of both parties described Jones as a leader who tried to work with Democrats, who outnumber Republicans in 134 to 25 in the House. Speaker Ron Mariano called Jones "a thoughtful and pragmatic leader who preferred compromise over obstructionism." Meanwhile, Republican strategist Wendy Wakeman told WBUR's John Bender that Jones had " a very conciliatory pose" with which some members of his party had grown impatient.
- What's next: Wakeman thinks Republicans have a good chance of keeping Jones' seat: " Brad has had a lot of influence over how the district's lines have been redrawn." But when the GOP caucus elects a new House leader next January, she's hoping for someone who is more combative. "I think many Republicans are looking forward to seeing the next minority leader be somebody who's more willing to take up the fight in a very vocal way," Wakeman said.
In other local news: A 29-year-old Boston man was arraigned yesterday on over a dozen charges related to Friday's butcher knife-wielding incident at the Forest Hills MBTA station. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said that Hyde Park resident Micah Martin is facing 15 charges, including armed carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon and attempting to disarm a police officer.
- What's next: A judge ordered that Martin — who reportedly pleaded not guilty — be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next Monday.
Party favors: The Healey administration is doling out $10 million to support local World Cup watch parties and other related events this summer. Healey's office says the money will support fan celebrations and watch parties in 25 different communities, from Greenfield and Easthampton to Lexington and Weymouth.
- FYI: The State House-approved money is separate from the $46 million in federal funds Massachusetts is getting for World Cup-related security costs.
P.S.— CitySpace is hosting the latest edition of our Curated Cuisine series tonight — and it's a spicy one. Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy, the women behind “The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook," will join Food & Folklore founder Tamika Francis for a discussion about the spices from India and Sri Lanka and their visit to see the farms that bring us those flavors. Audience members will also get to try a unique twist on milk and cookies from the cookbook after the conversation. Get tickets here.
