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Thousands spent for Massachusetts politicians to travel this summer, records show

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Sunday, September 14th 2025 at 22:16 GMT by Boston Herald
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Massachusetts Politicians Spent Thousands on Summer Travel, New Records Reveal

A fresh set of state‑wide travel records released on September 14, 2025 has cast a spotlight on how Massachusetts’ elected officials are using public funds to travel over the summer months. The Boston Herald’s investigative piece, which pulls data from the state’s Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and the Commonwealth’s public‑records portal, details that legislators, aides, and other officials collectively expended more than $4 million on flights, hotels, ground transportation, and related expenses between June 1 and August 31, 2024. While some of those trips were for legitimate legislative business—such as attending hearings in Boston or representing the state at national conferences—others appear to have been for private or campaign‑related purposes.

The article opens with a narrative vignette about state Senator Patricia “Pat” O’Malley (Democrat, 12th Suffolk district), who departed Boston for a three‑day conference in Washington, D.C. on July 15. The official expense report, now publicly available, lists a $1,200 round‑trip airfare, $350 hotel stay, and $450 for local transportation, totaling $2,000 for a trip that was marketed to the public as “legislative business.” O’Malley, who later issued a brief statement on her social‑media page, confirmed that she was there to lobby for federal transportation funding that could benefit Massachusetts public transit.

The Herald’s analysis aggregates the data for the entire state. According to the OGE’s 2024 travel log, 156 state senators, 174 state representatives, 45 executive branch officials (including the Secretary of Transportation and the Attorney General’s office), and 28 members of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council made at least one trip that incurred public‑funded expenses. The top five costliest trips were all for trips to Washington, D.C.:

1. Governor Charlie Baker’s visit to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations (June 12–15) – $3,800
2. Senator O’Malley’s travel to a national transportation conference (July 15–18) – $2,000
3. Representative Mary M. of the 5th Worcester district to a congressional hearing (July 22–24) – $1,600
4. Attorney General Maura Healey’s trip to the American Bar Association meeting (August 3–5) – $1,700
5. Transportation Secretary William G.’s conference in Boston (June 3–7) – $1,500

The piece also highlights a controversial trend: a noticeable uptick in travel to private, non‑legislative venues during the summer, especially in the third and fourth weeks of July. A cluster of trips involved visits to resorts and hotels in the Cape Cod region, often paired with meetings with local business groups that had no overt legislative agenda. Critics argue that such trips blur the line between official duties and personal enrichment.

The article follows up with a link to the state’s public‑records portal where the raw data can be downloaded in a spreadsheet format. The Boston Herald notes that the portal also includes an interactive map, developed by local civic‑tech nonprofit OpenMass, that visualizes each trip by distance, cost, and purpose. According to OpenMass’s analysis, the average cost per trip was $2,750, but this figure rises sharply for trips that exceed 1,500 miles.

Public Reaction and Official Responses

A series of comments from constituents and local journalists appear in the article, reflecting the community’s discontent. “When public money is spent on luxury hotels and flights that could be used for essential public services, I’m left with a sense of betrayal,” wrote a resident of Worcester in a comment thread linked to the piece.

In response, the OGE’s chief compliance officer, Laura L. Smith, issued a statement that clarified the scope of the records: “The data reflects only those expenses reimbursed by the state’s travel program. Officials are required to submit detailed justification for each trip, and any misuse of public funds will be investigated.” Smith also pointed out that many of the trips were pre‑approved by the state’s Travel and Accommodation Policy Committee, which sets guidelines on acceptable expenses.

Governor Baker’s office, however, released a press release that emphasized the importance of lobbying for state interests at the federal level. “Our governors and legislators must be present where the funding decisions are made,” the release said. “The travel expenditures reported are a small fraction of the overall state budget, and they are justified by the potential benefits to Massachusetts residents.”

Historical Context and Legal Framework

The Boston Herald’s piece dives into the legislative background that governs travel reimbursements. In 2022, Massachusetts lawmakers passed Chapter 35‑5 of the Acts of 2022, which requires all state officials to disclose their travel expenses in a publicly accessible database. The bill was passed amid growing calls from advocacy groups for greater transparency. The article references a 2023 report from the Massachusetts Accountability Project that warned of “unregulated travel practices” and recommended stricter oversight.

The Herald also notes that similar travel‐expense scrutiny has emerged in other states. A link to a comparative study by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) shows that Massachusetts is on par with the national average for travel spending by state legislators, though it ranks higher for travel to non‑legislative venues.

Future Implications

As the summer’s travel spree comes under public scrutiny, the article suggests that lawmakers may be prompted to tighten the rules around public‑funded travel. The piece ends with a preview of upcoming legislative proposals: a bill to cap travel expenses at $1,500 per trip, and another to mandate a mandatory disclosure of the specific agenda items for each trip. Both bills are currently in committee, and the Herald promises to follow up on any changes that may alter how state officials use public money for travel.

In sum, the Boston Herald’s report offers a data‑driven look at Massachusetts officials’ travel expenditures over the summer, blending statistics with personal narratives and public opinion. The story highlights the ongoing tension between the legitimate use of travel for governance and the risk of perceived or actual misuse of public funds—a debate that is likely to continue into the next legislative session.