Councilor Arroyo says he won't resign after reports he exchanged texts with Rachael Rollins during campaign
BOSTON - He's under intense pressure but Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo is refusing calls to resign following reports that he exchanged hundreds of text messages with U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins in the midst of his campaign for Suffolk County District Attorney last year against Kevin Hayden.
"It's very clear by what's in the report, and frankly what's not in the report that I did not ask her to do this, nor did I know she was doing these things," Arroyo told reporters today at Boston City Hall.
Rollins is accused in two federal reports of trying to sabotage Hayden's campaign by leaking information to news outlets that he could face a federal investigation in a police misconduct case. According to the report, "Arroyo told Rollins that a public announcement of such an investigation 'would be the best thing' that could happen for him at that moment." But Arroyo sees it differently.
"At that time there was a lot of calls for an investigation," said Arroyo. "My request was whether or not it was actually being done or if there was announcements were coming. I never once pressured her to conduct an investigation."
Fellow councilor Erin Murphy stands behind the resignation calls suggesting Arroyo was using a powerful friend. "Any time any elected official is interfering in the results of an election it shows a lapse of moral judgement to me," said Murphy.
Others including the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, a government watchdog agency, call it a breach of ethics. "He worked with the U.S. Attorney's office to hurt his political opponent to benefit his campaign," said spokesman Paul Craney.
City Council President Ed Flynn calls the allegations serious but stops short of a resignation call. "I'm not calling for any type of sanction against him, we just have critical work ahead of us. But he should have a conversation with his constituents and his colleagues," said Flynn.
The council does not have the authority to force Arroyo to step down. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says it should be left to voters to decide if he should stay.