Massachusetts AG’s credit card spending stirs debate between GOP gubernatorial candidates

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell s spending habits with her taxpayer-funded credit card are stirring a debate between a pair of Republicans looking to become the Bay State s next governor Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy a former cabinet secretary under Gov Charlie Baker took a shot at his foe shortly after the Herald published a overview on how the AG spent nearly on state-issued procurement cards or P-cards last fiscal year My primary opponent Brian Shortsleeve has donated thousands of dollars to our Democratic Attorney General Kennealy stated in a social media post Friday morning He is one of her largest single donors Records show that Shortsleeve a venture capitalist and former MBTA chief administrator made two donations to Campbell according to the state Office of Campaign Political Finance The first came in August a month before Campbell lost in a Boston mayoral primary before the second in March during her campaign for AG Massachusetts campaign finance law limits the maximum contribution a candidate can receive per person per calendar year to Holly Robichaud a political strategist for Shortsleeve responded to Kennealy s criticism of the donations to Campbell drawing similarities to how President Trump has financially supported top Democrats Robichaud also took a dig at how Kennealy has previously commented that he blanked the top of the presidential ticket Mike Kennealy wouldn t know anything about this because he never voted for President Trump Robichaud stated the Herald Friday afternoon But as the President made totally clear when explaining his donations to Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer as a business person in a deep blue state sometimes it is the cost of doing business Unlike Kennealy she added Brian Shortsleeve had perpetually voted for the GOP ticket and that includes voting for Campbell s Republican opponent The Herald s review of P-card spending in the AG s office uncovered that Campbell racked up about in Fiscal Year Expenditures included roughly for a conference that the attorney general attended in France last July with of that amount going toward transportation through Avis Chauffeur The Herald also identified that P-card expenditures stemmed from states in FY from California to Disney World in Florida Kennealy and Shortsleeve s latest beef comes after the two attacked each other earlier this month over fundraising material