A leader of a local marriage-protection group is asking state and federal officials to look into whether Mass. Gov Deval Patrick offered state jobs to legislators in exchange for their votes on the marriage protection amendment.
Kris Mineau, spokesman for VoteOnMarriage.org, said he has heard persistent complaints about alleged job offers as lobbying has intensified in recent days. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote next Thursday on whether to put a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage on the ballot in 2008.
“From what we’re hearing (of the job offers), the level of this would warrant a look by the (state) attorney general or the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Mineau said yesterday. “If one were to read the laws about bribery in government, this would appear to fall into that category.”
Of course, Patrick denies making the job offers, but what else is he going to do?
The seven legislators who are the margin of victory for the amendment are under incredible pressure, not just from the local Democratic Party but from the national party as well. They don’t want the marriage amendment on the ballot next November, reminding voters of the extreme liberalism of the party as they go to vote for a new president and a new Congress.
Those seven legislators—I don’t have a list handy, but I’m sure it’s out there—will need prayers and words of support on June 14.
Incidentally, it probably goes without saying that Mass. Attorney General Martha Coakley—she of the “an amendment would be unconstitutional” speech—is unlikely to investigate the bribery complaint.
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