Overview
- Attorney General Andrea Campbell filed a Suffolk Superior Court lawsuit seeking to recover $31,438 plus interest from former aide LaMar Cook, arguing he was ineligible for any payout because he was fired for cause.
- The complaint says the Human Resources Division mistakenly paid out 530 hours of accrued vacation from Cook’s time at UMass and the governor’s office, with $31,438.56 gross and $22,374.29 net deposited into two bank accounts.
- State officials say they attempted to reverse the direct deposits but could not due to insufficient funds, and they have formally demanded repayment.
- Gov. Maura Healey’s administration has acknowledged the error; Healey called the payout “ridiculous” as Cook remains in custody after pleading not guilty to drug trafficking and firearm charges.
- Cook’s bail remains set at $75,000 for the trafficking charge and $10,000 for firearms counts after a judge denied a bail review on Jan. 8, with his next pretrial appearance scheduled for Feb. 4 following October seizures of cocaine shipments tied to his workplaces.