Over 3,000 pages detailing the ouster of former CCC Chair O’Brien released

More than 3,000 pages of records detailing the process which led up to the sudden ouster of former Cannabis Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien have been released by the courts.

According to attorneys representing O’Brien from the Boston law firm Todd & Weld, the files show that State Treasurer Deb Goldberg’s decision to remove O’Brien in 2023 was made without evidence and with only a token gesture made toward justice. O’Brien, herself a former State Treasurer and one-time gubernatorial candidate, was officially fired last September.

Now that the information leading up to her is ouster out in the open, her lawyers say that Goldberg hopes the public takes the chance to see what has been going on behind closed doors in Boston.

“Ms. O’Brien has consistently maintained that sunlight is the best disinfectant. She hopes that now that the public can finally access the materials involved in her Removal Hearing, the public can see the secret, one-sided process that Treasurer Goldberg utilized to remove Ms. O’Brien as Chair of the Cannabis Control Commission and can truly understand that the Treasurer lacked the evidence that meets the statutory standards to remove Ms. O’Brien,” her attorneys wrote.

According to her lawyers, the 3,000 pages of documents cleared for release show that Goldberg “tried to hide” the record of what occurred at the commission ahead of O’Brien’s removal.

Allegations of racism or discrimination, are not backed up by sword testimony, they allege. In fact, evidence that refutes those allegations is contained within the just released documents. Further, according to O’Brien’s lawyers, the Treasurer made use of anonymous witnesses to come to her decision and the criticisms those witnesses offered are impossible for the former Chairwoman to fully refute.

In the end, an O’Brien spokesperson to the Herald, they hope the records will clear O’Brien’s name.

“Shannon O’Brien looks forward to her day in court to finally clear her good name, which has been tarnished by Treasurer Goldberg,” they said.

Goldberg’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/g4k9UXs