FBI and IRS Raid State Senator Brian Joyce’s Law Office
Officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service raided the Canton law office of Democratic State Senator Brian Joyce on Wednesday as part of an unspecified ongoing federal investigation.
The raid happened at a time when media scrutiny on Joyce’s activity as a member of the legislature has intensified. Recent reports have zeroed in on his use of campaign finance funds for personal activities, his questionable transactional relationship with a dry cleaner, and using his influence to obtain goods, like designer sunglasses, at an extraordinary discount.
Joyce has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
“It is unfortunate that recent stories in the media appear to have sparked an investigation. Senator Joyce has been cooperating with each inquiry that has taken place to date resulting from those stories and believes that he has done absolutely nothing wrong,” said Joyce’s attorney Howard Cooper in a statement provided to the State House News Service by Joyce’s public relations firm, the Goodwin Group.
In January, Joyce gave to charity in order to address outstanding campaign finance issues. He has been investigated by the state Ethics Commission but has not faced any disciplining for his actions. Joyce was a member of the Senate leadership until last May, when Ethics Commission investigations into his activity prompted him to step down. Governor Charlie Baker called for him to be investigated in January when new reports surfaced about his activity bubbled to the surface.
The Massachusetts Republican Party and the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance both called for Joyce to resign from the State Senate.
“With federal investigators raiding his office after a series of deeply troubling corruption reports, it is time for Senator Brian Joyce to resign from office immediately. Joyce’s remarkable disregard for the law is a byproduct of the Democratic culture of corruption on Beacon Hill, where abuse of power appears to be a fringe benefit,” said MassGOP Chairman Kirsten Hughes in a statement.
