Sun. Nov 17th, 2024

Two weeks ago we published a letter from Treasurer Deborah Goldberg to Shannon O’Brien, explaining why she was being removed as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission. We also published the reports of two investigators hired to look into some of the allegations against O’Brien.

Now we are publishing the closing argument of O’Brien’s attorney, Max Stern. His statement is rambling in places, but it also captures some of the drama of this classic fight between the treasurer and O’Brien, a former treasurer herself who Goldberg appointed to chair the commission. Stern’s arguments may also foreshadow the expected legal challenge to O’Brien’s dismissal.

“You do not have a good case,” Stern tells Goldberg in his closing argument. “Your case is down to two complainants. One, [executive director] Shawn Collins, who was looking for revenge and looking for money, and [commissioner Nurys] Camargo. This is the one who wanted the job [of chairman], and still wants the job. Each well-motivated, self-interested people with grudges in a place that lives on grievances. And what they said was told to two investigators because, you know, all we know is what the investigators have told us because we haven’t heard from Ms. Camargo. We haven’t heard from Mr. Collins.”

All of these documents were released by the O’Brien camp. Goldberg has said little and released nothing.

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