Rachael Rollins, once a celebrated U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts appointed by President Biden, found herself in a challenging situation. Less than a year after stepping down from her role, amidst a detailed investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), her license to practice law was suspended. This development was confirmed by court records.
The suspension of her law license by the Massachusetts Appellate Court, effective from February 20, was due to her failure to pay the necessary registration fees. This marked a significant fall from grace for Rollins, who had been hailed as a “national leader” following her nomination by President Biden to serve as U.S. Attorney.
Before the DOJ’s probe into her alleged unethical behavior, which was said to involve political activities favoring the Democratic Party, Rollins received high praise. As the Suffolk County District Attorney, her approach to handling crime in the Boston area was lauded by many, including liberal media and Democratic members of Congress.
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Rollins was depicted as one of President Biden’s wisest choices. If confirmed by the Senate, she was set to become the chief federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, dealing with cases related to national security, white-collar crime, public corruption, cybercrime, gang violence, and civil rights violations. The Los Angeles Times’ editorial board defended her against Republican criticism, highlighting her nomination as a challenge to the Republican narrative about Democrats and crime. Boston’s commendable crime statistics were cited as evidence that GOP senators’ claims about Rollins’ policies increasing crime were unfounded.
Massachusetts Democrat Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren described Rollins as an excellent selection for U.S. Attorney. They expressed pride in recommending her to the Biden administration, emphasizing her commitment to advancing equal justice for all.
Rollins was eventually confirmed by the Democrat-controlled Senate. However, she was later found by the DOJ to have attended a partisan Biden fundraiser and to have “falsely testified under oath” about leaking sensitive DOJ information to the press, aiming to assist a Democrat in winning elected office.
The details of Rollins’ misconduct were outlined in a report by Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s office, released before her resignation. The report revealed her attempts to influence an election by aiding Ricardo Arroyo in his Democratic primary campaign for Suffolk D.A. Rollins went as far as offering advice on handling sexual assault allegations and provided media outlets with negative information about his opponent, Kevin Hayden.
The DOJ concluded that Rollins falsely testified under oath during her interview with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) when she denied being the federal law enforcement source that leaked nonpublic, sensitive DOJ information to a reporter about a potential criminal investigation. She later admitted to being the source after producing relevant text messages.
The report also highlighted that Rollins, against ethics advice, attended a Biden fundraiser that included an appearance by the first lady, Jill Biden.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Rollins, Markey, Warren, and The Los Angeles Times for comments on these developments.