Now, according to independent journalist Grant Smith – Ellis , CCC Lawyer Andrew Carter had a play in place to ensure David Lakeman didn’t get the job and also this..
My sources also say that, to this day, there is upwards of $2,500,000 “unaccounted for” on the CCC’s books (and, in turn, this may also explain why some CCC staffers are pushing so hard to prevent a forensic audit of the agency from taking place).
Mass CC Website Andrew Carter bio reads
Andrew Carter
Chief of Staff
[email protected]
Chief of Staff Andrew Carter joined the Commission in 2018 and has held various legal and compliance roles at the agency. Previously, Andrew served as Interim General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, responsible for the legal affairs of the Commission, including the promulgation of the regulations mandated by Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022: An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry. Earlier, Andrew served as counsel in the Commission’s Investigations and Enforcement division, advising on legal matters related to compliance with cannabis laws and regulations.
Andrew has served in federal, state, and municipal government, including the United States Senate, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Newton. Andrew holds a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. from Northeastern University, and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
Grant Smith – Ellis writes on Linked In
NEW (scoop): Per sources, at the end of 2024, staffers within the Massachusetts CCC sabotaged the hiring of Executive Director candidate David Lakeman –after Lakeman had been chosen for the job by a unanimous vote of CCC Commissioners– by refusing to offer Lakeman a salary of $200,000.
Then, just days later, another candidate, Travis Ahern, was given the job with a salary over $200,000.
It is unclear why Lakeman’s selection as CCC Executive Director was sabotaged, but my sources say that effort traces back to CCC lawyer Andrew Carter.
A mysterious letter from Lakeman, discussed at a December public meeting of the CCC after the events described above unfolded, also remains undisclosed.
Over the past year, multiple reports have emerged (on this feed and elsewhere) that an internal culture within the CCC –defined by abuse of female staff members, nepotism, missing money and nepotism– has pushed the agency to the brink of being put under the control of a receiver by state lawmakers.
Read more background on those shocking allegations here – https://lnkd.in/eGy_kXzZ and here – https://lnkd.in/ehsmjpX8
My sources also say that, to this day, there is upwards of $2,500,000 “unaccounted for” on the CCC’s books (and, in turn, this may also explain why some CCC staffers are pushing so hard to prevent a forensic audit of the agency from taking place).
According to public statements over recent months, both the State Auditor and the State Inspector General in Massachusetts are conducting ongoing investigations into the beleaguered regulatory juggernaut (in the spring of 2024, while the OIG investigation was going, things got so bad that the OIG himself went to state lawmakers asking for emergency intervention at the CCC in the form of an appointed receiver).
In turn, if this effort to “take out” Lakeman from the position of Executive Director –coupled with staff attempts to prevent a forensic audit– is connected to a wider ongoing cover-up remains to be seen.
More as I know it.
