Battenfeld: Biden should launch investigation of pal Marty Walsh in police commissioner controversy

President Biden needs to open an investigation into what his pal Marty Walsh knew about allegations of domestic violence against former Police Commissioner Dennis White when the former mayor appointed him to the top cop job.

Walsh, the current Labor Secretary, could become a major headache and distraction for Biden as the ugly saga around White’s hiring and firing heads for the civil courts.

For a president who claims he cares deeply about police transparency, domestic abuse and violence against women, White’s case is a powder keg waiting to explode. Biden should get ahead of this and launch an independent investigation before the New York Times opens one of its own.

Walsh is emerging as the key witness in a likely wrongful termination lawsuit that White will file against acting Mayor Kim Janey’s decision to permanently remove him.

White’s attorneys — backed by an affidavit from former Police Commissioner William Gross and statements by White — allege that Walsh knew about the internal affairs complaints against White when he was promoted and then given the job as the city’s top cop shortly before Walsh departed for D.C.

White’s attorney, Nicholas Carter, is known for his aggressive tactics and smells blood in the water. And Walsh is his target.

Walsh, in statements released by the Labor Secretary’s office, strongly denies Gross’s allegation and says he never would have promoted White if he knew of allegations of domestic abuse.

Clearly, someone is lying.

Gross issued his claim in a sworn statement and now it’s likely Walsh will have to rebut it under oath when White’s all but certain lawsuit reaches the civil courts.

Lying to the media is one thing but lying to the courts could expose Walsh to potential charges of perjury.

Just ask former House Speaker Tom Finneran, caught giving false testimony in a relatively tame redistricting lawsuit. Finneran was indicted by the feds for perjury and obstruction of justice and lost his powerful job, his pension and his law license and agreed to never run for office again to avoid jail time.

Because Walsh gave White the job and swore him in as police commissioner without proper vetting, either he is guilty of gross incompetence or even worse, complicity.

Janey has made clear she could not keep White because of the disturbing charges against him. Why didn’t Walsh make the same decision? And why did Walsh initially go in the bunker and try to squash the release of the internal affairs reports against White?

“It is clear that Dennis White’s return as commissioner would send a chilling message to victims of domestic violence in our city, and reinforce a culture of fear and a blue wall of silence in our police department,” Janey said on Monday.

Janey is smart to distance herself from Walsh and Biden must do the same thing even though he and the former mayor are personally tight. Getting to the truth is more important than Biden’s close relationship with his union buddy.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/34X45gl