Gov. Maura Healey’s know-how companies and safety secretary spent 1000’s on taxpayer-funded bank cards final fiscal yr to remain at a four-star lodge in Barcelona and rent on-demand chauffeur companies that promised to “upgrade your travels,” in keeping with state information.
The spending by the Govt Workplace of Know-how Providers and Safety was along with tens of 1000’s of {dollars} that Healey’s workplace charged to publicly funded bank cards to pay for a number of four-star lodging in Washington, D.C., and an island resort in Newport.
Secretary Jason Snyder, who leads the company tasked with managing the chief department’s digital infrastructure, used a state procurement card to spend greater than $620 with Blacklane, a “global chauffeur service” that pledges to take care of the “very highest possible standards.”
The previous Harvard College official charged a publicly-funded bank card 5 instances to rent chauffeurs in November 2024 for $84.46, February for $172.43, March for $149.35, and twice in April for $112.98 and $106.78, in keeping with state information.
“A private ride in a top-of-the-line vehicle makes every journey a pleasure, not just a means to an end,” Blacklane says of its companies on its web site.
Christopher Smith, a spokesperson for the tech-focused secretariat, mentioned the Blacklane purchases had been “for transportation to and from the airport for travel related to Secretary Snyder’s official duties, to avoid surge pricing the day of travel.”
“Where possible, the secretary carpools and/or shares transportation with any members of his party also in attendance,” Smith mentioned in response to a query about why the secretary didn’t go for different floor transportation choices.
Snyder’s workplace additionally spent greater than $1,400 in October 2024 for him to remain on the Catalonia Rigoletto, a four-star lodge in Barcelona, and one other $2,000 with Swiss Air to fly to Spain, in keeping with state information.
Smith mentioned Snyder traveled to Barcelona to attend the Disruptive and Rising Know-how Alliance Ministerial Summit in November 2024, which culminated in a “manifesto” calling for the moral use of synthetic intelligence and talks selling zero particles in house.
Smith mentioned the occasion allowed “for collaboration with leading experts from across the globe in emerging technology.”
“This collaboration will foster innovation and new ideas that can be leveraged by the Commonwealth to help facilitate its mission to be a global leader in Applied AI. The hotel was selected because of its proximity to the conference and lower cost compared to other lodging in the area,” Smith mentioned in an announcement to the Herald.
Twelve delegations participated within the Disruptive and Rising Know-how Alliance Ministerial Summit, and Snyder was the one consultant from the USA, in keeping with the summit’s web site.
Exterior of debating the moral use of AI, summit attendees “agreed to start the procedures to join the Zero Debris Charter, an initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA) that promotes sustainable space missions,” the occasion’s web site mentioned.
Healey’s workplace additionally used taxpayer-funded bank cards to spend greater than $13,000 at resorts final fiscal yr because the first-term Democrat, her workers, and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll often jetted throughout the nation, in keeping with a $7.3 million dataset of procurement card expenditures.
The Governor’s Workplace authorized greater than $3,300 in spending in December 2024 at The Mayflower Lodge, an upscale Marriott positioned simply blocks away from the White Home and United States Capitol, public information reveals.
A spokesperson for Healey mentioned rooms had been booked on the lodge for Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and her workers to attend the Nationwide Lieutenant Governors Affiliation convention. Driscoll stayed a further time at The Mayflower Lodge to attend a White Home reception, the spokesperson mentioned.
This isn’t the primary yr Healey’s workplace has spent 1000’s on resorts throughout the nation, and even the world. State procurement card information from fiscal yr 2024 confirmed the governor spent 1000’s at 4 and five-star resorts in Quebec Metropolis and Rome.
Healey or her workers have persistently traveled to Washington, D.C. to satisfy with federal officers or the state’s Congressional delegation, amongst others, for the reason that governor took workplace in January 2023.
The Governor’s Workplace spent one other $1,136 in February on the Grand Hyatt Washington, a four-star lodge additionally positioned a brief jaunt away from the White Home and U.S. Capitol, in keeping with procurement card information.
A spokesperson for Healey mentioned rooms had been booked on the lodge so workers may attend the Nationwide Governors Affiliation.
Healey loaded one other $1,587 onto a taxpayer-funded bank card for purchases in November 2024 on the JW Marriott Washington, DC, a four-star lodge in the identical space because the Grand Hyatt Washington and The Mayflower Lodge, state data present.
Healey and Driscoll stayed on the lodge to attend a reception for governors hosted by President Joe Biden on the White Home, in keeping with the Governor’s Workplace.
Healey’s workplace spent $215 in November 2024 on the Newport Harbor Island Resort, a four-star lodge in Rhode Island that payments itself as offering a “new era of family vacations, steeped in timeless traditions.”
“It’s the quintessential New England coastal experience, with culinary celebrations, immersive activities, and personalized luxury. Embrace your island resort life on Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island,” the lodge’s web site mentioned.
Driscoll stayed on the coastal lodge to attend the 54th Annual New England Connectivity and Telecommunications Affiliation Conference and Exhibition, the place she spoke on a panel about girls in management with the lieutenant governors of Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Govt businesses or departments are suggested to make use of procurement playing cards solely as a “payment of last resort,” although guidelines do permit state officers to pay for in a single day lodging at resorts, in keeping with tips issued by the state’s budget-writing workplace.
The Governor’s Workplace additionally used procurement playing cards to spend much more on airways final fiscal yr.
Healey and her workers dropped greater than $14,500 in 2024 and 2025 on purchases with JetBlue, Delta, Canada’s Porter Airways, American Airways, and Air Canada, in keeping with state data.
A spokesperson for Healey mentioned the flights had been taken by Healey, Driscoll, or their workers to conferences, occasions, and conferences of their official capability. Flights are taken in financial system class, in keeping with the spokesperson.
The workplace’s most costly airline-related buy got here in October 2024, when Healey or her workers spent $868 with Porter Airways, procurement card information reveals.
Mike Kennealy, a former cupboard secretary below Gov. Charlie Baker who’s operating for governor as a Republican, slammed Healey for spending greater than $75,000 on procurement playing cards final fiscal yr.
“It’s absolutely outrageous and completely unacceptable,” Kennealy mentioned in an announcement to the Herald. “Jewelry stores. Luxury hotels. Florists. Newspaper subscriptions. Cable bills. Ferry rides. Amazon splurges. All in just one year. This is the culture of waste, fraud, and corruption that has infected state government under Healey’s watch.”
Brian Shortsleeve, a enterprise capitalist and one other Republican operating for governor, mentioned tax revenues have been flat over the primary month of this fiscal yr and “unemployment is on the uptick.”
“The governor should lead by example and start reining in wasteful spending in her own office and travel expenses,” he mentioned in an announcement to the Herald.
Healey’s high single procurement card expense in fiscal yr 2025 was $5,304 in February with the Herald, which a spokesperson mentioned coated subscriptions to the newspaper.
Nancy Lane/Boston Herald
Gov. Maura Healey continues to spend her P-card on fancy resorts. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
