This is the CambridgeDems.org website, which has been replaced by an illegal website, CambridgeDems.com.
The CambridgeDems.com website is run by Ms. Poly Cobb, who was recently selected as an Election Commissioner of Cambridge.
Under MGL 55:5, Ms. Cobb may not act as a "principal officer" of the Cambridge Democratic City Committee.
"...a member of a[n]... election commission in any city or town shall not serve as the chairman, treasurer, or other principal officer of any political committee...."
When the position of webmaster was created in 2003, with myself as first webmaster, I was accordingly granted a seat on the CDCC Executive Committee -- that is, I became a "principal officer" of the CDCC.
Therefore, in her capacity as webmaster for CambridgeDems.com, Ms. Cobb is a "principal officer" and is therefore in breach of Massachusetts General Law.
We asked Ms. Cobb to recuse herself from webmaster duty, and she declined, claiming that the Cambridge Solicitor would provide a decision shortly.
When that decision is made, and if it includes input from the opposition (us), and if it affirms Ms. Cobb's legality in editing the website, and if the elected membership of the Cambridge Democratic City Committee concurs that Ms. Cobb should continue in her role, we will consider returning control to whomever the CDCC deems appropriate.
Ms. Cobb was selected as Election Commissioner after losing the election in an open Democratic City Committee vote.
Ms. Linda Pinti won the election as Election Commissioner on June 14, 2007
Ms. Cobb was then selected anyway, on Aug. 23, despite that in the history of Cambridge, no person elected by the Democratic City Committee had ever been turned away as Election Commissioner.
During the selection period, Ms. Cobb failed to post the results of the Democratic City Committee vote on this website accurately --
she reported the results as if Ms. Pinti and Ms. Cobb had gotten equal votes, when in fact Ms. Pinti had won the election.
There is a clear conflict-of-interest in acting as the spokesperson for the CDCC, a partisan body, while serving as Election Commissioner.
That conflict-of-interest is what MGL 55:5 addresses, and the CDCC should respect that. I certainly do!
Signed, Jesse Gordon, jesse@CambridgeDems.org, 617-320-6989
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