Romney Used Conservation Money for Super Bowl Rally

Environment News Service, February, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC (ENS) — --> Shrugging off the objections of his department head, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney used approximately $45,000 in the state's parks and conservation money to stage a pre-Super Bowl send-off rally for the New England Patriots football team on January 30.

Romney then fired the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) chief Katherine Abbott who objected to spending that much money on the Patriots' send-off, as well as her top deputy.

On February 4, without warning, Romney terminated Abbott. On February 7, the number two official at DCR, Pam DiBona, was also forced to resign.

In firing Abbott, the governor blamed her for "inexcusable'' failures that contributed to four West Roxbury High School students being struck by a truck on the VFW Parkway February 4. He said she had failed to have the sidewalks cleared after a snowstorm. The students were injured, one ...