Judge allows for discovery in civil suit appeal of $2B state contract awarded to political heavyweights

The $2 Billion Springfield Courthouse Contract Appeal Moves to Discovery

A Hampden Superior Court judge is permitting discovery in an ongoing legal appeal concerning a $2 billion state contract for a new Springfield courthouse. The project was awarded in part to CoJo Partners, a Boston-based firm co-owned by Conan Harris—husband of U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley—and John Barros, interim executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA).

The civil lawsuit emerged from intense public backlash following the decision by the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAMM) to award the massive deal to the Liberty Junction partnership. In August, the judge presiding over the initial challenge denied a motion by plaintiffs for an injunction and restraining order that would have halted the project. That August ruling now anchors the current appeal brought by two of the ten losing bidders: western Massachusetts car sales mogul Jeb Balise and business magnate Dinesh Patel.

Last week, Hampden Superior Court Judge David Hodge denied a motion from Liberty Junction to quash discovery in the appeal. At the same time, the court issued a protective order addressing confidentiality concerns raised by the winning partnership.

“After review of Liberty’s motion, together with the plaintiffs’ opposition as well as Liberty’s reply, Liberty’s motion to stay discovery is denied. However, the court does find that Liberty has raised sufficient concerns about the confidentiality of the discovery sought to warrant the issuance of a protective order. As such, Liberty’s motion for a protective order is allowed,” Judge Hodge wrote.

Disputing State Procurement Transparency and the Healey Administration’s Defense

Attorneys for both Liberty Junction and the plaintiffs have submitted required paperwork to open discovery while negotiating the specifics of the protective order. Representatives for Balise and Patel argue that the legal threshold allows them to examine the bidding process more closely.

“This ruling by the Court will begin to allow the evidence to come out, despite the efforts of Liberty Junction and the State to keep the facts about this $2 billion mistake hidden,” a spokesperson for Balise and Patel told the Boston Herald. “Governor Healey has twice told the people of Massachusetts that a judge found this process ‘flawless.’ This ruling proves that statement false. The people of Hampden County and the Trial Court employees deserve a fair and transparent process.”

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance has also welcomed the judge’s decision, arguing that it opens the procurement process to much-needed public scrutiny.

It’s an encouraging step that the judge has allowed discovery. Taxpayers deserve a transparent process and right now there’s more questions than answers. Allowing for discovery will shed more light to what potentially has been going on. Ultimately, Springfield deserves a courthouse that is not riddled with potential conflicts due to political deals from Boston powerbrokers. — Paul Craney, Executive Director, Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance

Court documents filed in the appeal revealed that Barros met with top staffers in Governor Maura Healey’s administration just hours before the bid winner became public. An MCCA privilege log obtained through a public records request pointed to an 8:30 a.m. meeting on July 2 between Barros and Healey’s aides regarding “communications strategy deliberations on the RFP.” Participants included Healey’s Chief of Staff and General Counsel, the Deputy General Counsel for the Executive Office of Administration & Finance, an aide to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and senior communications staff, alongside representatives from the MCCA.

The Healey administration defended the gathering through the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F), noting that the meeting took place on July 2, two days after the contract was officially awarded on June 30.

“The meeting you are referring to occurred on July 2. The contract was conditionally awarded on June 30. The winning bidder was the recommendation of the Trial Court. The selection committee consisted of neutral representatives of the Massachusetts Trial Court and DCAMM professional staff,” said A&F Chief of External Affairs Matt Murphy. “There was no discussion between political officials and the selection committee. The Governor’s Office was not involved in the selection process.”

Financial Disclosures, Separate Finances, and Political Scrutiny

During the original lawsuit, it was revealed that Barros did not disclose his financial interest in CoJo Partners until the day after the contract was awarded. He subsequently divested his interest as public attention intensified.

Balise and Patel filed their initial joint lawsuit in July under their respective business entities, USPB JV, LLC and Tower Square, LLC. While Judge Hodge denied injunctive relief in August with a critical assessment of the civil suit, the current appeal keeps the dispute active.

Representative Pressley has defended her husband while maintaining a clear separation from the business dealings and procurement process.

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“I don’t have any unique insights on that. My husband and I met later in life. We got married later in our life. We keep our finances and everything completely separate,” Pressley told the Boston Herald in August. “What I will say is I’ve always been proud of my husband and what he has done. He is the American dream. He’s overcome a great deal. He has made great contributions… He worked for Barack Obama. He served in a mayoral cabinet. He was a leader in nonprofit, in government, and in business. So I’m very proud of my husband. But I have no unique insights on this. We met later in life, our finances are separate, I don’t know anything.”

As Harris maintains his position with CoJo Partners and his connection to the project, public financial disclosures compiled via Open Secrets show Pressley’s reported net worth shifting from an estimated $12,500 during her tenure as a Boston City Councilor in 2018 to $8 million by 2024, alongside a standard congressional salary of $174,000.

Attorneys for Balise and Patel, as well as the Attorney General’s Office, continue to review the next steps as discovery proceedings get underway in Hampden Superior Court.