Mass State Police shelled out greater than $200,000 on stays at 4- and 5-star motels from Aruba to Florida, together with worldwide flights and different bills over the past fiscal 12 months.
The Herald is sifting by state companies’ taxpayer-funded bank card expenditures — discovering that Mass State Police racked up $217,957 in procurement card (P-card) bills in fiscal 12 months 2025.
That features stays at Aruba’s Manchebo Seashore Resort & Spa for a complete of $6,050, and Aruba’s Bucuti & Tara Seashore Resort for a complete of $4,344. MSP additionally had a $1,320 invoice for a rental automobile in Aruba.
Among the different greatest resort payments from the final 12 months have been at Champlin’s Resort, Marina & Resort in Rhode Island for a complete of $9,179; Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile for a complete of $8,475; and Harborside Inn on Martha’s Winery for a complete of $5,062.
Mass State Police, which has been emphasizing the significance of transparency because the embattled company tries to revive belief following a string of scandals, won’t present particulars on these expenditures and the aim for these dear journeys.
“We do not have a comment to provide on these State Police operational matters,” a Mass State Police spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.
Not too long ago, the Herald make clear the P-card payments for Lawyer Normal Andrea Campbell’s workplace and Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, who was indicted final week on federal costs.
Among the MSP costs are associated to the governor’s govt safety, however not all of them.
“The Massachusetts State Police takes seriously our solemn obligation to keep elected officials safe during their tenures in office,” the MSP spokesperson mentioned. “Constitutional Officers in Massachusetts and throughout the nation have lengthy had Govt Safety that travels with them.
“This is essential for ensuring the safety and security of our state’s top leaders, while also ensuring the safety of the general public,” the spokesperson added. “This security is all the more important in this moment when political violence is on the rise, with several recent and tragic attacks on elected officials. Due to operational concerns, we do not comment on resource allocations of protective details.”
The timing of Gov. Maura Healey’s workplace buying resort stays in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere line up with a few of MSP’s fancy resort expenditures.
Nancy Lane/Boston Herald
Among the Mass State Police costs are associated to Gov. Maura Healey’s govt safety, however not all of them. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
That features MSP’s bills on the Mayflower Resort in D.C., which added as much as $4,145. The governor’s workplace spent $3,321 on the Mayflower Resort throughout the identical time interval.
One other MSP-governor’s workplace overlap included the Grand Hyatt in D.C. — for a complete of $4,316 for MSP. The governor’s workplace spent $1,590 for that journey.
“Taxpayers are footing the bill for high-end travel of our elected officials and their security details,” mentioned Paul Craney, govt director for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “The extra info that turns into public about these junkets, the extra they appear to be luxurious holidays on the taxpayer’s dime.
“If our elected officials want to be pampered while they travel with their State Police detail, they should pay for these luxury travel trips out of their own pocket like the rest of us taxpayers do,” he added. “This is not a good use of tax dollars and the State Police shouldn’t be used in this manner.”
State Police and the governor’s workplace additionally had P-card costs on the Westin Guide Cadillac in Detroit. MSP’s invoice for that resort keep was $2,184, and the governor’s workplace spent $1,765.
One other MSP-governor’s workplace overlap included the Grand America Resort in Utah — for a complete of $2,671 for MSP. The governor’s workplace spent $1,184 for that journey.
Different motels that troopers stayed at included the: Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk ($3,700), InterContinental The Willard in D.C. ($2,769), Hilton Beverly Hills in California ($2,751), Fairmont Royal York in Toronto ($2,420), Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona ($2,375), Eau Palm Seashore Resort & Spa in Florida ($2,301), Limelight Resort in Colorado ($1,979), and the 4 Seasons Resort in Philadelphia ($1,105).
When the Herald reported on AG Andrea Campbell’s P-card bills, the AG’s workplace mentioned Campbell traveled with a trooper and certainly one of her employees members to a convention and associated occasions in Paris and Normandy, hosted by the Nationwide Affiliation of Attorneys Normal and the Lawyer Normal Alliance.
The MSP flight bills for that European journey totaled $4,164.
MSP additionally final 12 months spent $2,713 for aircraft tickets on the worldwide Qatar Airways.
One expenditure that had an evidence was a $3,677 invoice on Nantucket final November — for MSP to supply meals to members supporting the presidential go to to the island.
In the meantime, Mass State Police just lately launched its “Excellence Initiative” because it stresses the significance of transparency.
Considered one of MSP’s objectives is to “Deepen Community Connection and Expand Public Outreach. This goal underscores the Department’s commitment to engage communities through transparent communication,” MSP wrote.
The company must be extra forthcoming and provides detailed solutions on expenditures, Craney informed the Herald.
“It’s raising more questions than answers, bringing a lot of doubts to taxpayers about whether their money is being used correctly,” he mentioned.
“It’s just adding to the growing doubt about whether these P-cards are being properly used,” Craney added. “State Police can do a lot more to calm any fears and alleviate any doubts that taxpayers would have.”
The Herald reached out to every of the state’s constitutional officers about these expenditures, asking in the event that they have been concerned in any of the bills.
The governor’s workplace referred the Herald to MSP for remark.
The spokesperson for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin wrote, “The Secretary doesn’t have a State Police detail, so none of these travel expenses would involve him… the Secretary doesn’t have (and never has had) a trooper assigned to him, even when he’s been Acting Governor.”
The spokesperson for Treasurer Deborah Goldberg wrote, “None of these expenditures apply to the Treasurer’s office.”
The spokesperson for Auditor Diana DiZoglio wrote, “The Office of the State Auditor was not involved in these expenditures.”
