Mayoral Candidate Moulton Cites Newspaper Investor's Donation to Opponent
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Robert Moulton Jr. is crying foul over a donation to his opponent by a Berkshire Eagle owner.
Hans Morris of Stockbridge donated $250 to the campaign of Thomas Bernard last month. Morris is a member of the group of investors who purchased New England Newspapers last year.
Mention of Morris' donation was omitted from a Thursday article in The Eagle on the pre-election campaign finance reports. iBerkshires also wrote an article about the filings but did not catch Morris' name in connection to the newspaper group.
In a statement, Moulton said he did not expect the newspaper's endorsement but did not think one of the owners would provide financial backing to a North Adams mayoral candidate.
"Further, I was incredibly disappointed that our local newspaper — which we count on to provide truth and transparency — has completely failed to meet its obligation and disclose the donation by one of its owners, Mr. Morris," he wrote, adding that The Eagle must have known about the contribution.
Morris is also chairman of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and a member of its board since 2001. The museum's director, Joseph Thompson, contributed $200 to Bernard's campaign.
Bernard, currently director of special projects at Smith College, was development officer at Mass MoCA more than a decade ago. He was endorsed this week by outgoing Mayor Richard Alcombright.
The Eagle's Executive Director Kevin Moran is quoted in a followup story in the paper saying a reference to the donation should have been included in the article. However, he added, "Hans Morris has not played a role in editorial decisions, including endorsements."
Moulton intimated in his statement that the $250 donation to Bernard, who has so far raised nearly $20,000, came with strings attached. "What does he expect in return for this support?" asks Moulton.
With Tuesday's election fast approaching, Moulton, a local businessman who's served five terms on the City Council and bid unsuccessfully four years ago for mayor, is positioning himself as running against an establishment that "tries to push back and put us down."
Moulton's full statement can be found on his campaign Facebook page.
Tags: campaign reports, campaign statements, election 2017, mayor,
