Auditor Diana DiZoglio said Friday that her office will not participate in a Senate subcommittee hearing next month on the voter law, which allows the Methuen Democrat to investigate the Legislature.
“We’re not accepting the invitation,” DiZoglio informed the News Service. “Our office has work to do, and this is a meeting for the courts to decide.”
She went on: “It is very clear that this is just another maneuver and tactic to get out of following the 72% voter-approved mandate that our office conduct an audit of the state Legislature.”
Senator Cindy Friedman’s committee announced the hearing on Wednesday, after senators accused DiZoglio’s office of failing to respond to their questions about the audit. Friedman did not say who would be invited to testify.
Beacon Hill Democrats have repeatedly opposed DiZoglio’s auditing efforts, citing constitutional concerns about separation of powers.
“The Subcommittee needs answers to these fundamental questions and will be conducting a hearing to seek input and guidance relative to the implementation of Chapter 250,” said Friedman in a prepared statement.
“We will seek testimony from a variety of sources on issues of constitutionality, scope, and conflict of interest as they relate to the Subcommittee’s outstanding inquiries. The Subcommittee will announce the hearing date soon, with the expectation of holding it in March.”
On social media, DiZoglio accused senators of holding a “trial” and violating the constitutional separation of powers by “exercising the powers of the judiciary.”
“Please contact @MassAGO to tell her that Senators aren’t judges and we will not tolerate a kangaroo court, purportedly a hearing, making decisions about the constitutionality of the law they themselves are breaking,” DiZoglio wrote in a tweet Friday, which included an image of kangaroos wearing court wigs.
DiZoglio stated that her office has not yet filed a writ of mandamus, which could end the stalemate and force Attorney General Andrea Campbell to take action on enforcing the voter law.
