Letter  OIG Annual Report 2021: A Letter from Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha

Date:	04/29/2022
Organization:	Office of the Inspector General
Referenced Sources:	Office of the Inspector General: 2021 Annual Report

IG Cunha Reflects on 10 Years as Massachusetts Inspector General

I am pleased to publish my tenth Annual Report as the Inspector General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Leading the office has been a great honor, one that I share with just three others: Joseph R. Barresi, Robert A. Cerasoli and, my immediate predecessor, Gregory W. Sullivan.

This summer, when my second five-year term comes to its end, my sadness at leaving my post will be tempered by my pride in our accomplishments over the past decade. I am confident that I have left the Office of the Inspector General (Office) a better place for my successor – and for the residents of the Commonwealth.

During my tenure, the Office has grown in numerous ways. On my first day as inspector general, the Office employed just 39 people, and our annual budget was $3.8 million. In 2012, our Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) program offered 47 courses and trained about 1,200 students. Today, the Office employs 78 individuals, and its annual budget is $7.7 million. In 2021, the MCPPO program offered 110 courses and trained more than 4,300 students.

I am extremely proud of creating the Dr. Frances Burke Diversity Fellowship for Investigators and the Justice Geraldine S. Hines Diversity Fellowship for Lawyers. These two-year programs offer recent graduates from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to begin a career in public service. The first Burke fellow is now a full-time investigator for the Office.  

I am also proud of dozens of investigations the Office completed during my tenure, including:

• An investigation of the former Westfield State University President’s use of public funds for personal expenses, which led to him repaying the state $185,000. This investigation gave rise to a new state law requiring all trustees of public colleges and universities to complete training about their obligations to help prevent fraud, waste and abuse of public funds by their chief executives. The Office’s MCPPO program provides that training.
• A review of a contract between the city of Methuen and the superior officers in the city’s police department that city officials approved without understanding the terms. The Office deemed the contract unenforceable. City officials estimate that Methuen saved $3.7 million by cancelling the contract.
• A recent investigation that resulted in the indictment of the CEO of a publicly funded nonprofit organization for allegedly embezzling nearly $1.5 million.

These cases were the product of the Office’s collaboration with other public agencies to improve government. While some joint investigations can last months, others last years. For instance, the Office spent several years working with federal and state agencies to investigate former Fall River Mayor Jasiel F. Correia II before he was convicted in federal court in May 2021.

Please read the 2021 Annual Report for more details about the Office’s accomplishments this year and throughout my tenure. It has truly been a privilege to lead the Office for the past ten years.