Charlie Speaks: Rosenberg’s Senate Status Hangs in the Balance

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2018/02/05/charlie-speaks-rosenbergs-senate-status-hangs-in-the-balance/

Governor Charlie Baker said Stan Rosenberg can’t return as Senate president if his now-estranged civil-law husband Bryon Hefner had access to Rosenberg’s email and used his connection to Rosenberg to sexually harass male lobbyists and others with ties to Beacon Hill.

Baker made the comments during a press conference at the Massachusetts State House on Monday, following up on a report in The Boston Globe on Sunday.

“If they’re true he certainly shouldn’t be Senate president,” Baker said. “… The allegations are troubling, deeply concerning.”

Baker, a Republican, deflected a question about whether Rosenberg (D-Amherst) should resign as a state senator, saying he want to see what the investigation finds.

Rosenberg stepped down as Senate president December 4 temporarily during an investigation that is supposed to determine whether Hefner abused his access to Rosenberg.

Jay Gonzalez, a Democratic challenger for governor, called on Rosenberg to resign from the state Senate on Monday.

In recent weeks, state senators seemed to be warming to the idea of reinstating Rosenberg as president. But the report Sunday has set off a second round of jockeying among senators interested in succeeding Rosenberg as Senate president.

Democrats hold a 33-7 edge over Republicans in the state Senate and will decide who is Senate president.