MassGOP Treasurer Patrick Crowley stated the agency that Chairman Jim Lyons employed to allegedly examine the governor’s private life was additionally used to conduct “opposition research” into two Republican state committee members.
Those two members, Lindsay Valanzola and Matthew Sisk, have been vital of Lyons’ management type, one other committee member stated.
“As part of my due diligence as treasurer of the party, I re-reviewed the campaign finance reports that have been filed since February 2022 to make sure the reports are accurate,” Crowley stated in a Friday electronic mail to committee members that was shared with the Herald.
“As part of this review, I have identified another discrepancy that will require amending our filings.”
According to Crowley, the get together’s April 2022 quarterly Federal Election Commission report lists a vendor named “STRIM” with no tackle, for “IT services.”
Crowley stated he reached out to STIRM group, the non-public investigations agency Lyons employed to allegedly conduct opposition analysis into Democrat Maura Healey through the gubernatorial marketing campaign, and was supplied with an bill for a “background check that was conducted on Lindsay Valanzola.”
“As this was the second discrepancy with this vendor, I asked for information regarding any additional work that was done for the MA GOP,” Crowley wrote. “As a partial response to this inquiry, I was provided the attached invoice for an investigation on another state committee member.”
According to the invoices, additionally offered to the Herald, Lyons was billed $800 for “investigation fees,” dated Sept. 1, 2021, for Valanzola and $1,000 for a background investigation into Sisk, dated May 13, 2021, which included retrieving his information from Norfolk Probate and Family Court.
Crowley informed committee members on Thursday that the get together was on the hook for a $52,467 cost for the Healey probe, and wrote Friday that get together assets had been additionally used to pay for the Valanzola investigation, citing marketing campaign finance filings.
The Sisk investigation was paid for by a 3rd get together, Crowley stated, referencing a test for $1,000 he offered to committee members, “and does not appear on any campaign finance filings of the party.”
This test was made out to STIRM group, from a celebration that lists its tackle as 2119 Main St. in Tewksbury, which, in line with an web search, is similar tackle as Lyons’ household enterprise, Dandi-Lyons.
“Once I get guidance from the OCPF and/or FEC, I will let you know what actions I need to take regarding this expenditure,” Crowley wrote.
According to sources, Lyons was investigating whether or not Valanzola lives in Massachusetts, as a part of his bid to take away her from the state committee, and was wanting into Sisk’s divorce and the legitimacy of his first marriage.
Sisk’s first spouse is international, however was legally within the United States with a H1-B visa, which permits U.S. employers to briefly make use of international employees in specialty occupations, a supply stated.
Sisk declined remark, and Valanzola didn’t return a cellphone name in search of remark.
Michael Valanzola, one other state committee member, informed the Herald Lyons employed a personal investigator to comply with his sister, Lindsay, throughout the nation when she was on enterprise journeys.
“It’s sad and weird and odd and pretty much consistent with his, you know, behaviors in general,” Michael Valanzola stated. “So I can’t say I’m stunned — just disappointed.”
Lindsay Valanzola is listed on her LinkedIn account as a pre-sales operation supervisor who works in Nashville, and Lyons was making an attempt to show that she lived there as properly, her brother stated.
Michael Valanzola stated Lindsay works “in between Newton and Nashville,” and is a resident and registered voter in “good standing” in Massachusetts.
Lindsay Valanzola is listed because the committee’s assistant secretary on the MassGOP web site, however her seat is listed as vacant on an inventory of state committee members.
According to Michael Valanzola, Lyons has been trying to take away his sister from the state committee for about two years, however has been unsuccessful in a number of avenues.
Lyons made makes an attempt by means of an investigatory committee consisting of MassGOP committee members, the secretary of state’s workplace, and their hometown board of registrars in Wales, in line with Michael Valanzola.
“There’s nothing removable and he doesn’t have the authority to do it,” Michael stated. “So, now he’s just arbitrarily decided he’s going to declare a vacancy. This is really all because this is going to be a close election, and he’s attempting to remove any members that he believes won’t vote for him.”
Lyons didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Amy Carnevale, a frontrunner within the race for chair, stated “these kinds of actions perpetuate a culture of dysfunction on the committee.”
“It is troubling that the chairman would investigate members of his own committee using a private investigative service, whether that was paid for with committee dollars or personal dollars,” Carnevale stated.
The MassGOP chair election shall be held on Jan. 31 in Marlboro.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”