'Fluff' Takes Center Stage In Beacon Hill Budget Spat

BOSTON (CBS) – An iconic Massachusetts invention landed in the middle of a sticky partisan political situation on Beacon Hill Thursday.

Fortunately, there's a happy ending.

State Rep. Daniel Winslow (R-Norfolk) stacked ten tubs of marshmallow Fluff in a pyramid form outside the office of outgoing Administration and Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez, according to The State House News Service.

Each tub had a holiday greeting card attached suggesting particular budget recommendations that would cut excess "fluff" from state spending.

Winslow has been a vocal critic of state spending.

When they realized what was going on, Gonzalez's staffers took down the display and asked Winslow to leave.

Jay Gonzalez with his "gift" from Rep. Winslow. (Photo courtesy: State House News Service)

At retail value (around $3.99 a tub), the unsolicited "gift" landed below the $50 gift-giving threshold that could have led to a potential ethics investigation.

Still, about two hours later, Gonzalez, citing "lean times," reportedly re-gifted the box of 10 tubs of Fluff to the State House News Service.

"Rep. Winslow dropped off this box of fluff for me, and we eat healthier food at A&F. This is fattening and we're in lean times," Gonzalez reportedly told the News Service. "And while I'm proud of my record of having good relationships with legislators, nobody's ever brought me a gift before. So I'm dropping it off with you guys. I figure you at State House News could use it, and I'm really hoping that he didn't pay for it with taxpayer money."

The News Service returned the Fluff to Winslow, who said later that he donated it to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans.