Former Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins lodged papers to run for her previous position as Suffolk County district attorney on Wednesday. The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth confirmed Rollins filed the papers late Wednesday afternoon. Kevin Hayden currently holds the position of Suffolk County district attorney, taking over when Rollins was nominated by then-President Joe Biden to serve as the top federal prosecutor for Massachusetts. Linda Champion, an attorney and adjunct professor at New England Law, also filed papers for the position along with Hayden, according to state officials. NewsCenter 5 has attempted to contact Rollins for a statement. While Rollins did not officially comment on her candidacy for the office, she shared the message, “dare greatly.”
Rollins’s tenure as U.S. Attorney concluded with her resignation in 2023 after an ethics inquiry by the Department of Justice. An internal watchdog alleged that Rollins misused her position to undermine Hayden’s campaign for the district attorney’s office. A separate investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found multiple violations of a law that restricts political activity by government employees. Special Counsel Henry Kerner wrote to Biden, describing Rollins’ Hatch Act violations as some of the most severe his agency had ever investigated. The inspector general’s report accused Rollins of receiving 30 free tickets to a Boston Celtics game for youth basketball players and receiving payment from a sports and entertainment agency for flights and accommodation at a luxury resort. Rollins also frequently used her personal cellphone for official business, continued to accept contributions to her district attorney campaign account after becoming U.S. attorney, and attended a political fundraiser with First Lady Jill Biden without proper Justice Department approval, as indicated in the report.
Rollins holds the distinction of being the first woman of color as a district attorney in Massachusetts and the first Black woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.
