Is Menino really this invincible?
Mayor again on defensive after another computer found Will e-mail controversy hurt him in election? Will his popularity trump investigation?
Mayor Thomas Menino defended his administration again yesterday after The Boston Globe reported that city officials discovered another computer of a top aide that could contain e-mails sought by federal authorities.
Coupled with a first-of-its-kind “mayoral ticket” involving Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon as well as a spike in voter turnout for the preliminary election, the mayoral race is expected to be Menino’s toughest yet.
Still, Menino is immensely popular, and voters could shrug off the situation, as they seemingly did in the preliminary election for City Councilor Chuck Turner, who garnered wide support despite his federal indictment on bribery charges.
Maura Hennigan, a former city councilor who ran for mayor in 2005, said barring any major revelation among the recovered e-mails, it’s unlikely the matter will have a substantial impact on the election.
Yet the situation has left the mayor frustrated because it has led to discussion of issues “that don’t pertain to the quality of life in our city.” He said the city’s response has showcased its transparency.
“We’re talking about housing. We’re talking about making our streets safer. Nobody’s listening to that. All they want to talk about is e-mails,” he said.
Flaherty calls for investigation
City Councilor Michael Flaherty, who is challenging the mayor for the city’s top post, renewed calls yesterday for an independent investigation into the e-mail deletion controversy at City Hall.Flaherty said the Menino administration has been “dismissive and
cavalier” when addressing the situation, which involves a top mayoral
aide deleting e-mails city officials later said weren’t properly saved
due to a server glitch.
“We need to restore public’s trust,” Flaherty said.