Massachusetts, Where Nepotism Is A Way Of Life...

Khazei OK’d hiring brother at nonprofit

Alan Khazei, who is basing his campaign for US Senate on his experience leading nonprofit organizations, paid his brother nearly $40,000 as a consultant for the charity he ran over a three-year period, an action that appears to run afoul of his nonprofit’s conflict-of-interest policy.

There are many interesting things in this story. First off, that the Globe is running it on a Democrat - obviously they view Khazei as more of a threat to the existing Democrat power structure in MA than to Scott Brown in November 2012. Oh, wait:

Khazei is among seven Democrats who have declared they are running in next year’s primary for the right to challenge Republican Senator Scott Brown. Khazei leads all Democrats in fund-raising, reporting $920,000 in the most recent filing period.

Interesting. I wonder who the other six Democrats are? Someone the Globe backs, no doubt. Here's another interesting part. When asked why he didn't run the appointment of his brother by the board of directors of the non-profit, Khazei responded thusly:

“It was my approval with the senior team,’’ Khazei said. “It was such a small amount, $50 an hour, $2,500 a month.’’

"Such a small amount". $50 an hour. There's no time period given other than during Khazei's three year tenure, but $50/hour isn't "a small amount" in my book - that's $100K a year. But then again:

Be the Change paid Alan Khazei $242,000 in salary and bonus in 2009, according to its most recent public tax filing. Khazei also acknowledged earlier this week that he has been receiving a consulting fee of up to $12,000 a month from the nonprofit, under a contract he received after he resigned as president and chief executive in March to become a full-time candidate.

Yeah, I suppose if you were making just shy of a quarter mil for managing a non-profit (by putting your brother on the payroll) and $12K/month as a consultant you might view $50 an hour as "a small amount". I wonder who Kharzei is running against that the Globe felt the need to run this story?

Welcome to MA - even our non-profits employ hacks!

That is all.