Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley was the featured speaker at yesterday’s Greater Boston Chamber Government Affairs Forum. Attorney General Coakley shared accomplishments from her first term and discussed priorities for the next four years.
1 On the Commonwealth’s economic recovery:
“This recovery will be led by businesses like those in this room. We have shared goals — you want your businesses to grow, and we in government want your businesses to grow and succeed right here in Massachusetts.”
2 On her first-term accomplishments:
“We have saved Massachusetts consumers more than $350 million in proposed energy rate increases. … We’ve brought 40 cases of public corruption, including cases against elected officials, fraud in Massport and against EMTs not being properly trained or certified. … And we’re rooting out fraud in our Medicaid system, recovering almost 200 million back for Massachusetts in the last four years.”
3 On a new second-term initiative:
“I am announcing today that from our Corruption and Fraud Division we are forming two distinct divisions in our Criminal bureau with two distinct missions — a Public Integrity Division and a Fraud and Financial Crimes Division. The Public Integrity Division will be … charged with investigating and prosecuting cases of public corruption and fraud. The Fraud and Financial Crimes division will focus on cases of fraud and ‘white collar or paper’ cases.”
4 On efforts to tackle the foreclosure crisis in Massachusetts:
“These foreclosures are the classic “lose-lose” scenario. Homeowners lose. Banks lose. Cities and towns lose as a result of the abandoned properties in their neighborhoods. Last week, we filed a bill to create standards that require banks — when it is financially beneficial to them — to modify loans.”
5 On her commitment to combat corruption and fraud:
“To put it simply, combating fraud and corruption and requiring transparency is at the heart of ensuring stability in our markets and faith in our government.”
– Coming up at the Chamber: On Monday, March 7, Larry Summers, former director of President Obama’s National Economic Council, will address the Chamber’s Government Affairs Forum.
