Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray. I'm w b Zkoston's new radio.
Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone. This is the nine o'clock hour.
Speaker 3: We will be taking phone calls with my guests, but
Speaker 3: we probably aren't going to take phone calls until nine thirty,
Speaker 3: so just as a courtesy, if you want to call earlier,
Speaker 3: you ken. If you prefer to wait, that's okay as well.
Speaker 3: My guest is the newly appointed United States Attorney from Massachusetts,
Speaker 3: Leah Foley. Leah, thank you very much for being here tonight.
Speaker 3: I've interviewed a few US attorneys in my career here
Speaker 3: on Nightside, but it is always a special honor and
Speaker 3: privilege to speak with the United States Attorney from Massachusetts.
Speaker 4: Welcome, thank you very much, thank you for having me.
Speaker 3: I tell my friends that I think that the most
Speaker 3: important law enforcement officer in the car Wealth of Massachusetts
Speaker 3: is not the Attorney General, but is the United States Attorney.
Speaker 3: I'm sure that there would be those in the attorney
Speaker 3: in the Attorney General's officer might disagree, but you have
Speaker 3: an incredibly important job. How large is your office these days?
Speaker 3: How many attorneys and staff will you oversee in this position?
Speaker 4: So we have about two hundred thirty somewhat employees in
Speaker 4: the office, over one hundred criminal division attorneys and about
Speaker 4: twenty five civil division attorneys.
Speaker 3: And that's a pretty good sized law office.
Speaker 2: You have been You are not appointed out of the blue.
Speaker 3: You have been here in the US Attorney's Office in
Speaker 3: Massachusetts for some time now. Just a little bit about
Speaker 3: your background before we get into some of the issues.
Speaker 3: I know that you're a graduate of loyal In Law School.
Speaker 3: You have a Bachelor of Wrought degree English philosophy in French.
Speaker 3: You didn't take the easy subjects like I did at
Speaker 3: the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and also a Master
Speaker 3: of Laws degree from from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Speaker 3: Very impressive resume. How long have you been up here
Speaker 3: in New England.
Speaker 4: I first arrived in New England in October, I know,
Speaker 4: exactly October thirtieth of two thousand and five, after the
Speaker 4: birth of my first son.
Speaker 2: Wow, no, it's okay.
Speaker 4: That's what I started in the office in January of two.
Speaker 5: Thousand and six.
Speaker 3: And well, that's close to twenty years. And you have
Speaker 3: been in leadership in this office for some time. Obviously,
Speaker 3: you're in the top spot right now tell us about
Speaker 3: some of the positions of leadership, and because I think
Speaker 3: it will foreshadow the interest that we're going to talk about,
Speaker 3: that will probably typify your time as US.
Speaker 4: Aturned seven, two thousand and six. Until about twenty twelve,
Speaker 4: twenty thirteen, I was on the line. I was first
Speaker 4: in major crimes for about a year and a half
Speaker 4: and then I transferred to the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit,
Speaker 4: and and then the twenty twelve twenty thirteen I took
Speaker 4: on the responsibility of being the Regional director for the
Speaker 4: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which in government parlances
Speaker 4: osad F, and in that role, I was the coordinator
Speaker 4: of all of the federal drug trafficking investigations that were
Speaker 4: being conducted in the New England region. And I also
Speaker 4: became the lead Strikeforce attorney for the Boston Strikeforce, which
Speaker 4: is a federal task force compromise comprised of FBI DEA,
Speaker 4: HSI atf I r S and numerous local and state
Speaker 4: task force officers who are deputized to work on the
Speaker 4: federal investigations.
Speaker 2: Impressive resume. You guys have acronyms for everything, by.
Speaker 4: The way, I know, so annoying I know, no, no, no, I'm.
Speaker 2: Only teasing you.
Speaker 6: So.
Speaker 3: So you received your appointment on January twenty first, and
Speaker 3: shortly thereafter you held a news conference which a lot
Speaker 3: of people. It was the first impression, and if the
Speaker 3: first impression, if you only get one chance to make
Speaker 3: a first impression, as they say, you had the opportunity
Speaker 3: to make a great first impression. This was a huge
Speaker 3: drug raid, arrests gang members up in the Lawrence Lowell
Speaker 3: haveoral Areaario's reign of terror. Again, I know you've talked
Speaker 3: about it, and I know it's a pending case so
Speaker 3: you can't get into.
Speaker 2: A lot of it.
Speaker 3: But in terms of the news conference, there were twenty
Speaker 3: two people and amongst them there were allegations besides you know,
Speaker 3: gang membership and drug dealing and all of that. Six
Speaker 3: murders and eleven attempted murders. I mean, talk about heavy duty.
Speaker 2: This is pretty heavy duty stuff.
Speaker 4: For a long time, my office has our gang unit,
Speaker 4: as I will call it, because the acronym is probably
Speaker 4: even more annoying than these upline. They have always done
Speaker 4: a tremendous job in working with local and federal law
Speaker 4: enforcement officers and district attorney offices across the commonwealth and
Speaker 4: identifying transnational organized gangs who are just wreaking havoc on
Speaker 4: communities and making it so unsafe for communities to operate
Speaker 4: in a day by day basis. People are afraid for
Speaker 4: their kids to walk to the school bus because gangs
Speaker 4: were reigning on the streets and firing at each other
Speaker 4: for the most ridiculous, petty reasons. And we partnered with
Speaker 4: our locals to put an end to it and to
Speaker 4: identify the most dangerous individuals who were involved in these
Speaker 4: gangs and take out their leadership.
Speaker 3: How how important in your opinion is partnership between not
Speaker 3: only you know, federal law enforcement, but state local law enforcement.
Speaker 4: None of us can do our jobs without each other.
Speaker 4: We partner every single day with the local and state
Speaker 4: law enforcement officers and troopers.
Speaker 3: And.
Speaker 4: No single agency can do its job, not FBI, not DEA,
Speaker 4: not ATF without the partnership at the Massachusetts State Police,
Speaker 4: and without the partnership with all of the police offices
Speaker 4: in this commonwealth.
Speaker 2: As you know, there's.
Speaker 3: You're in Massachusetts, and when we get back, I'd like
Speaker 3: to talk about how you're going to try to forge
Speaker 3: relationships with people who are also in law enforcement or
Speaker 3: in government here in Massachusetts who might see the world
Speaker 3: a little differently, and I'd like to talk about that.
Speaker 4: That'll be interesting.
Speaker 2: Will here again.
Speaker 3: We won't take calls until nine thirty six, one, seven, two, five, four,
Speaker 3: ten thirty if you want to get on a little early.
Speaker 3: My guest is Leah Foley. She is the United States
Speaker 3: Attorney for Massachusetts and she has now been in the
Speaker 3: office just a little over a month. And having spoken
Speaker 3: with her this afternoon really for the first time, I
Speaker 3: think she's and you look at this rest she's very
Speaker 3: ready for this job, I think the most important law
Speaker 3: enforcement job in the state and the Carmwalth of Massachusetts.
Speaker 3: Back on nightside right after this, bonded to have as
Speaker 3: a guest Leah Foley, the new recently appointed United States
Speaker 3: Attorney for the Calmwalth of Massachusetts, and we are talking
Speaker 3: about her priorities and what she is concerned about.
Speaker 2: One of the things that.
Speaker 3: You will have to do is deal you're the appointee
Speaker 3: of President Trump, who has made very clear what his
Speaker 3: position is towards things like illegal immigration, et cetera. And
Speaker 3: we have some political leaders here in Massachusetts who probably
Speaker 3: see things somewhat differently. How difficult do you think is
Speaker 3: it going to be for you to interact with people
Speaker 3: who maybe are not lawyers. In some cases, maybe they
Speaker 3: might be lawyers, but they do not probably have the
Speaker 3: prosecutorial mindset.
Speaker 2: And I think most.
Speaker 3: Folks in the US Attorney's Office have the idea that
Speaker 3: use the office and use the law to get people
Speaker 3: who are dangerous off the streets and get civilians and
Speaker 3: people who are living by by the rules, allow them
Speaker 3: to have freedom twenty four to seven, to go to school,
Speaker 3: go to work, keep their kids safe. What sort of
Speaker 3: interactions do you think we are likely to see between
Speaker 3: federal agencies and state and local police agencies.
Speaker 2: What do you hope for and how do you hope
Speaker 2: to accomplish that?
Speaker 4: So I would like to start by saying, like we
Speaker 4: always try to find common ground, and in the fall,
Speaker 4: even prior to the election, there seemed to be a
Speaker 4: consensus amongst politicians on both sides, Republican and Democrats, that
Speaker 4: people who are in this country illegally, who have committed
Speaker 4: crimes should be removed from the United States, and that consensus,
Speaker 4: you know, however, we ended up there there had been
Speaker 4: mistakes that had been made and it ended up that
Speaker 4: everyone seemed to be on the same page, and so
Speaker 4: we would like to stay on that same page and
Speaker 4: work to continue to build collaborations and more consensus in
Speaker 4: that we target the people who everyone seems to agree
Speaker 4: and at least the federal government has prioritized as being
Speaker 4: right for removal, and those are the people who are
Speaker 4: in this country illegally, who have committed crimes. And the
Speaker 4: focus of ICE and HSI up till now has been
Speaker 4: on identifying, locating, and removing those individuals who make our
Speaker 4: communities unsafe. And I hope that you know, unfortunately that
Speaker 4: is a very long list, but that is the group
Speaker 4: that right now, the agents who are on the streets
Speaker 4: every single day trying to make our community safer, our targeting.
Speaker 4: And so I say that everyone in the Commonwealth should
Speaker 4: be grateful for the hard work that these men and
Speaker 4: women are doing every day, not to promote a political ideology,
Speaker 4: but simply to make our community safe.
Speaker 2: Leads me to two questions.
Speaker 3: Obviously, as I'm sure you know, the Boston Mayor, Michelle
Speaker 3: wou has been summoned to Washington and buy a House
Speaker 3: committee to talk about this very subject. Homeland Security Director
Speaker 3: Holman has said that he's soon coming to Boston. How
Speaker 3: much do you feel you're going to find yourself involved
Speaker 3: in that or can you sort of remove yourself from
Speaker 3: that apparent fight that's going on between you know, Tom
Speaker 3: Holman and officials at least in Boston, or do you
Speaker 3: see yourself that you have a role where maybe you
Speaker 3: can mediate this and get everybody on the same page.
Speaker 4: So ICE is an independent in law enforcement arm and
Speaker 4: they have their own priorities and they focus on their mission.
Speaker 4: We support their mission, which is when there are identified
Speaker 4: people in this country illegally to our subject to deportation,
Speaker 4: we facilitate the court hearings or we bring the appropriate
Speaker 4: charges that are warranted for that particular arrest or detention.
Speaker 4: Mayor lou is a polished politician. She will be appearing
Speaker 4: on Capitol Hill. It'll be interesting to see what kind
Speaker 4: of questions she's posed and answers she gives. But I
Speaker 4: don't believe any of these challenges or attacks or out
Speaker 4: of animosity. They are simply coming from our federal government
Speaker 4: to try to sway all local, state, federal politicians to
Speaker 4: get on the same page, which is we are trying
Speaker 4: to work together to promote public safety.
Speaker 3: All right, So this leads me to one separate final
Speaker 3: question on this, and then I'm going to move on.
Speaker 3: We talked about this last night. There was above the
Speaker 3: full piece of the Boston Globe yesterday by Sean Cotter,
Speaker 3: who's spoke about and if you read it, great, If
Speaker 3: you didn't, that's okay. Talked about how there was different
Speaker 3: points of view that when someone is taken into custody
Speaker 3: and are here illegally, particularly if they have been charged
Speaker 3: with a serious crime, there's sort.
Speaker 2: Of the chicken and egg story.
Speaker 3: What takes precedent deportation or prosecution, particularly if it's a
Speaker 3: serious crime of violence against a US citizen or for
Speaker 3: that matter, someone who's not a US citizen, to simply
Speaker 3: deport them without prosecuting them here and confining them here
Speaker 3: they you know, My view is they should pay their
Speaker 3: price here and not be deported, immediately serve the sentence,
Speaker 3: and then be deported. I'm just curious where you would
Speaker 3: stand on that. And in terms of the prosecution of
Speaker 3: someone who's here illegally and is then ultimately convicted of
Speaker 3: a serious violent crime.
Speaker 4: All right, So you talked about two parties involved in
Speaker 4: that decision, people who have made arrests and people who
Speaker 4: have the mission of removing dangerous criminals. The party you've
Speaker 4: left out are the judges who decide whether a person
Speaker 4: should be held or released. And there are times where
Speaker 4: not commenting on any specific case whatsoever, because I did
Speaker 4: not read that article, but if BPD makes an arrest,
Speaker 4: Suffolk brings the defendant into an arraignment, they ask for detention,
Speaker 4: and a judge releases the person and they're charged with
Speaker 4: a serious crime, whether it's drug trafficking, an armed robbery,
Speaker 4: a gun offense. And I also knows that this person
Speaker 4: is here illegally. They have of their mission is to
Speaker 4: protect Americans, and if a judge releases that person onto
Speaker 4: the streets, then I says no, like they have no choice.
Speaker 4: They are going to do what is best for the community,
Speaker 4: which is to detain this person who is here illegally,
Speaker 4: and they can only hold that person so long because
Speaker 4: of resources, And so then they're faced with, you know,
Speaker 4: the choice, do we release them back onto the streets,
Speaker 4: which they don't believe is safe for the community, or
Speaker 4: do they remove them? And so it's a complicated and
Speaker 4: again I believe that if there was more collaboration and collaboration,
Speaker 4: then possibly we could work to reduce these instances where,
Speaker 4: you know, ICE is made to look like the bad
Speaker 4: person because they're removing someone who is a danger to
Speaker 4: the community because that person is not being held and
Speaker 4: it's really not their fault and it's and it's you know,
Speaker 4: for a host of reasons. A judge might have some
Speaker 4: reason to want to release this person. But in this
Speaker 4: it's so fast paced and you're making decisions, you know,
Speaker 4: on the fly a lot of times, but based on
Speaker 4: factual information that you have. This person has a prior conviction,
Speaker 4: this person failed to report for an ICE meeting in
Speaker 4: order to you know, litigate their status to be here.
Speaker 4: There's so many variables in moving parts that the ICE
Speaker 4: agents really their sole responsibility is to remove people who
Speaker 4: are danger to the community. And some people might argue, well,
Speaker 4: look at all these other factors that make them not
Speaker 4: a danger, but they don't have the opportunity to reflect
Speaker 4: on that. They know what they know and they act
Speaker 4: in the best of the interests of the community.
Speaker 3: Well said I guess the US attorney Lea Foley. I
Speaker 3: got a couple of other questions, and then we're going
Speaker 3: to go to phone calls. So if you want to
Speaker 3: join us folks six one, seven, two, five, four to
Speaker 3: ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty,
Speaker 3: we'll be back with the new US Attorney, Lea Foley.
Speaker 3: Your calls and questions, more questions from me as well.
Speaker 3: Right after the break, we're talking with US Attorney Leah Foley. Lea,
Speaker 3: I just want to change topics for one second. There's
Speaker 3: a there's a big criminal case going on that is
Speaker 3: a is a state prosecution, not a federal prosecution. It's
Speaker 3: the Karen Read case. I'm sure you have familiar with it.
Speaker 3: And apparently there have been some reporting that the US
Speaker 3: Attorney's office has closed an investigation into that case, and
Speaker 3: there's some suggestions that that there were even maybe officials
Speaker 3: in your office. Of course, you're the top official in
Speaker 3: your office. Can you tell us what the status at
Speaker 3: all or if there even is an investigation that has
Speaker 3: that has been conducted regarding this case.
Speaker 4: So I'm bound by d o J rules that prohibit
Speaker 4: me from confirming or denying the existence for the federal
Speaker 4: engation investigation, and that's just the rule. So I can't confirm,
Speaker 4: but I can say it would not be unusual for
Speaker 4: us to speak with our partners or law enforcement to
Speaker 4: law enforcement partners about investigations, so it.
Speaker 3: Would not be you said. I think you said it
Speaker 3: would not be unusual, correct, I just want to make
Speaker 3: sure I heard it correctly.
Speaker 4: When we are involved in an investigation with partners in
Speaker 4: local law enforcement or other federal agencies, it is not
Speaker 4: unusual for us to speak about investigations.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 3: And then what I'd like to do is go to
Speaker 3: phone calls and I'm going to ask my listeners, my
Speaker 3: callers to ask questions. We're really not looking for speeches.
Speaker 3: If you want to wish the new US attorney, you know,
Speaker 3: good luck in her work. The one thing which I
Speaker 3: wanted to mention was I heard a story today, and
Speaker 3: I don't know if this is well. I think it's
Speaker 3: true that in some parts of the country, some of
Speaker 3: the people who perceive themselves as working to protect the
Speaker 3: deportation of illegal immigrants have actually begun putting up posters
Speaker 3: of ICE officers with their names and addresses and home
Speaker 3: phone numbers. Have you heard of this going on specifically
Speaker 3: in southern California.
Speaker 4: I have heard about it, and I find it to
Speaker 4: be despicable. It's targeting members of law enforcement community who
Speaker 4: are charged with doing a job, for upholding the laws
Speaker 4: of the United States, and to intimidate them to not
Speaker 4: do their jobs. And I find that I don't find
Speaker 4: there to be any justification for that and no excuse
Speaker 4: for it.
Speaker 2: Would that be tolerated in this?
Speaker 3: Is there any sort of a I'm sure that the
Speaker 3: ACLU will say, Oh, that's just the matter of speech.
Speaker 3: Putting up people's names and addresses. Uh, you know, it's
Speaker 3: basically outing people, if you will. I think the term
Speaker 3: is called doxing, if I'm not mistaken right, And I'd.
Speaker 4: Say that a few years ago, when other groups were
Speaker 4: putting the names and home addresses for abortion doctors online
Speaker 4: and making that public, I don't think the ACLUS stood
Speaker 4: up for them.
Speaker 7: Yeah, you do.
Speaker 4: Not try to incite violence. It is it is inexcusable
Speaker 4: just to promote a political ideology.
Speaker 2: Perfect.
Speaker 3: Let's go to a phone call. It's going to start
Speaker 3: off with Justin in Marlboro. Justin, you were first tonight
Speaker 3: with Leofold, the US attorney from Massachusetts.
Speaker 2: Go right ahead, Justin, what's your question or compa Hello?
Speaker 8: US attorneys. I wana thank you for being an attorney,
Speaker 8: because this seems a good job that you may feel
Speaker 8: like sisifus and I wish you the best. And I
Speaker 8: wanted to just make one observation. This is the biggest
Speaker 8: court case that Kel and me case in Soco and
Speaker 8: Vendetti one hundred years ago, and the d A. Morsy
Speaker 8: has never gone into the courtroom. It seems very odd.
Speaker 2: Yeah, again, Justin, I know you've hung on a long time.
Speaker 3: I've asked that question, and I don't think that that
Speaker 3: the US attorney is comfortable in going down any line
Speaker 3: of questioning.
Speaker 2: To be honest with.
Speaker 8: You, I just wanted to I just want to make observation.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I will say that the district attorneys can go
Speaker 3: into court rooms and sometimes they don't go into court rooms.
Speaker 3: I've covered a lot of trials and in my career,
Speaker 3: so I don't read anything into that, but you certainly
Speaker 3: can if you would like.
Speaker 2: Thanks, Justin. I appreciate your call.
Speaker 8: Thank you.
Speaker 3: Thanks to talk to you soon. Let me go next
Speaker 3: to Kelly down to the Cape in Harwich. Kelly, you're
Speaker 3: next on night side.
Speaker 5: I'm ganically Kerry.
Speaker 3: Hi, Kelly, how are you say? How to US attorney
Speaker 3: Fowld I know to me Kerrie Kerrie, Okay, well it's
Speaker 3: come up. It's no problem, Kerrie. I'm sorry it is
Speaker 3: written as Kelly, but it's Kerry. Go right ahead, Kerry
Speaker 3: wish your question of comments for the US attorney.
Speaker 5: Well, congratulations, madam attorneys US attorney. How do you deal
Speaker 5: with a local ring of terror? Do you take referrals
Speaker 5: from private citizens? Or I have grown up that chain
Speaker 5: of command as far as I can get, including and
Speaker 5: not limited to Governor Healy. I'm not getting what I
Speaker 5: need done? How can I get you involved? At one point,
Speaker 5: I believe her name was attorney US attorney Courtese Courtes.
Speaker 5: I don't remember her last name exactly, but I did
Speaker 5: get an opportunity to speak to her and she get
Speaker 5: know about this case in ut And let me.
Speaker 2: Ask you this carry. Is this a civil case or
Speaker 2: a criminal case? In your opinion? Both both? Okay?
Speaker 4: While I can say that we receive cases through our
Speaker 4: law enforcement partners, which are either local, state or federal investigators,
Speaker 4: and so I would just refer you to them. They
Speaker 4: are the ones to investigate cases, and then we are
Speaker 4: the ones who joined the investigation and prosecute cases if
Speaker 4: there are violations of federal law.
Speaker 5: Oh glare while you're tapping. There's all kinds of things, cyber.
Speaker 7: You know.
Speaker 6: The thing is, I think, Carrie, Carrie, I don't know
Speaker 6: that we can litigate that here. Uh now, I understand
Speaker 6: if you want to call me off ear sometime I'll
Speaker 6: be happy to try to guide you or direct you
Speaker 6: in a way that it might get you.
Speaker 2: On the right track.
Speaker 5: Okay, okay, great, thank you so much.
Speaker 3: All right, thanks, Gerry, have a great night. Let me
Speaker 3: get one more call in here before the break. Let
Speaker 3: me go to Bill and Lawrence. Bill, you were next
Speaker 3: on Nightside. Go right ahead, US attorney Lea Foley, go
Speaker 3: right ahead.
Speaker 7: Bill, Hi, good evening, Dan, thanks again for a wonderful
Speaker 7: show as usual. Welcome madam attorney. Good luck or as
Speaker 7: we say, Lawrence, well, I mean you can have your
Speaker 7: hands full. It's a breath of fresh air seeing this
Speaker 7: new administration put a US attorney and that already is
Speaker 7: generating a lot of press releases. And I subscribe to
Speaker 7: your daily newsbort. Is there any way I'll cut right
Speaker 7: to the chase we had recently, Lawrence, and it happens
Speaker 7: quite a bit there was a fentonyl mill, a major
Speaker 7: fidel mill was busted, and it was in your news reports.
Speaker 7: The local paper parrots it and waters it down and
Speaker 7: really doesn't write the whole story. That's why I'm grateful
Speaker 7: for your news items that you put out, because now
Speaker 7: they're very thorough. But one thing there'sn't in there. If
Speaker 7: there's a fentanyl mill next door to my house, how
Speaker 7: come I can't find out what the address is. Families
Speaker 7: want to be safe and be protected, why don't they
Speaker 7: put the addresses of these really very criminal operations in
Speaker 7: the press releases so we can know and for our
Speaker 7: own safety, where these people are.
Speaker 3: So I think Bill, you're talking about after some after
Speaker 3: an arrest have been made, after arrest have been made,
Speaker 3: and if you want the addresses, let me just make
Speaker 3: sure I understand this, that you want the addresses of
Speaker 3: the criminal defendants or the location where the crimes were
Speaker 3: allegedly committed in a press release.
Speaker 7: Surely, in the case of a sentinel mill, which is
Speaker 7: a dangerous public a nuisance.
Speaker 3: Okay, Okay, that's a legitimate question. It probably would be
Speaker 3: in the indictment. But the press release obviously is a
Speaker 3: synopsis of the indictment.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I can say I appreciate that concern. I
Speaker 4: would have the same concern if I believe that something
Speaker 4: like that was going on next door to me in
Speaker 4: our cases. I guess until recently when I was prosecuting
Speaker 4: those types of cases. The addresses of the locations that
Speaker 4: were searched and where seizures were made are in the
Speaker 4: criminal complaint affidavit which is issued in support of the
Speaker 4: arrest warrants in the criminal complaint, and those are available
Speaker 4: on the public docket. I believe that it probably doesn't
Speaker 4: go into the press release because they're trying to just
Speaker 4: condense a lot of information. But we can absolutely talk
Speaker 4: to the local police offer offers to try to figure
Speaker 4: out if there is a way to notify, you know,
Speaker 4: the people who abut these residences and places that are
Speaker 4: searched in case there are in any danger of inhalation
Speaker 4: of fentanyl, which we all know is quite dangerous.
Speaker 3: The other option to Bill would be to talk to
Speaker 3: you the editor of your local newspaper and their reporters
Speaker 3: could could look at those documents, which are public documents,
Speaker 3: and make that that material available, you know, from a
Speaker 3: public document public documents, a public record, the local reporters
Speaker 3: or the regional reporters or the reporter for the Globe
Speaker 3: of the head could could do a little bit of
Speaker 3: legwork on that as well. That's another way to get
Speaker 3: at it.
Speaker 7: Okay, Yeah, I understand what you're saying. Our local paper
Speaker 7: is non existent now, it's not even a daily anymore,
Speaker 7: and they really operate on press releases. They don't do
Speaker 7: any reporting whatsoever.
Speaker 3: So well, okay, well, that's that's some suggestions at least.
Speaker 7: I appreciate, madam attorney. Thank you, Thanks Bill.
Speaker 2: Take a very quick break back.
Speaker 3: But my guest, the US attorney from Massachusetts, Leah Foley,
Speaker 3: trying with US Attorney Leo Foley. Let's get back to
Speaker 3: the calls. Let me go to Kevin in Cambridge. Kevin,
Speaker 3: you were next on night's ide with US Attorney Leah Foley.
Speaker 7: Go right ahead, Kevin, Good evening.
Speaker 1: I I have a maybe an uncomfortable question, but I'm
Speaker 1: certain that she has anticipated it.
Speaker 8: I'm just really.
Speaker 1: Curious if you had been one of the prosecutors in
Speaker 1: the mayor Adams case, how you would have responded.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I don't think that hypothetical questions are really fear to
Speaker 3: any guests in a situation like this, Kevin, So, unless
Speaker 3: US attorney fully has some desire to answer that question,
Speaker 3: I'm going to strike it.
Speaker 4: I'm not familiar with all of the facts that led
Speaker 4: to that case, and I continue to have trust in
Speaker 4: the Department of Justice to make the right decisions.
Speaker 3: Or Kevin, good, try. I appreciate the Okay, thank you
Speaker 3: very much. I appreciate it. Okay, you welcome. Let me
Speaker 3: keep going here. Let me go to a gene and
Speaker 3: average Gina looking for a question, not a speech.
Speaker 1: Goright ahead, Gene, Hi, good evening.
Speaker 9: Yep. I'm sorry. I have a few questions and things
Speaker 9: I wanted to say and not trying to make a speech,
Speaker 9: but I have to say them. So please try.
Speaker 2: To go to the question, Gane, because I'm tight on
Speaker 2: time here.
Speaker 9: Okay, Hi you, let's attorn it. Yep, thank you. Jan Well,
Speaker 9: I'm talking about the crime in Boston that I feel
Speaker 9: a lot of my friends feel, also people who work
Speaker 9: there that I know I feel that it's being ignored
Speaker 9: by the mayor and the police chief. People are afraid
Speaker 9: to walk the streets, afraid to walk to work, afraid
Speaker 9: to take the subway to work. You know, people you
Speaker 9: walk down the street, people are putting drugs in there
Speaker 9: right there, Boston Common, Boilston Street, Tremont Street, downtown. They
Speaker 9: went on the stores with merchandise, stealing all the time.
Speaker 9: Nothing's done. There's some really been some really bad crimes.
Speaker 3: Okay, So so those are you know, yeah, those are
Speaker 3: those are not federal crimes at this point, let's has
Speaker 3: to say you've raised an issue.
Speaker 2: Gen Let's see what she says.
Speaker 1: Go ahead, thank you.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 4: I sympathize with what some members of our community in
Speaker 4: certain neighborhoods have to go through and to the extent
Speaker 4: that drug trafficking is contributing to these horroric crimes and
Speaker 4: horrible circumstances. Undo what you live. Our office that is
Speaker 4: under our jurisdiction, and I can assure you that we
Speaker 4: are working to eliminate and all of the drug traffickers
Speaker 4: who are promoting these types of open air drug markets
Speaker 4: and selling drugs to vulnerable addicted people and just making
Speaker 4: lives like ruining the lives of the people in their communities.
Speaker 4: Those are your communities and you should not have to
Speaker 4: live under those certain things.
Speaker 9: We just wanted someone to do something for a change,
Speaker 9: because Maywa was not interested.
Speaker 4: Well any help that the federal government can continue to
Speaker 4: identify drug traffickers and take them off the streets. I
Speaker 4: guarantee you that is what we are going to.
Speaker 9: Do in the clime makers, and we would like mister
Speaker 9: Holman to come to Boston all these communities.
Speaker 3: Do you have another question? I gave you a chance
Speaker 3: for another question if you.
Speaker 9: Don't know, But we would like to say, mister Holman,
Speaker 9: come and help us out because there's too much crime
Speaker 9: and too many criminals walking around. You can't even we
Speaker 9: Thank you for that comment, but thank you.
Speaker 2: We're going to move on. Thank you very much, Thank
Speaker 2: you very much, appreciate you. Thanks. Let me go to
Speaker 2: Joe and Lynn. Joey next on, Nice, I go ahead.
Speaker 1: Yea, thank you for taking my call. I hope that
Speaker 1: you attorney can help in this. What are you going
Speaker 1: to do if Michelle wou tries to keep this city
Speaker 1: as a sanctuary city and not let Tom Holman remove
Speaker 1: these illegal aliens, what are you, as an attorney going
Speaker 1: to do?
Speaker 8: So?
Speaker 4: We will continue to enforce federal law, and I have
Speaker 4: made it clear that anyone who tries to obstruct law
Speaker 4: enforcement officers from carrying out their their responsibilities and their duties.
Speaker 4: We will investigate and take action when necessary.
Speaker 1: I hope you do, because mister Homer is coming to
Speaker 1: Boston soon. Thank you, Dan.
Speaker 3: All right, Joe, appreciate you called the one area. If
Speaker 3: I got a couple of minutes left here it was
Speaker 3: attorney that I'd like to ask you about. Is obviously,
Speaker 3: seeing your background, I know what your concerns are about
Speaker 3: dismantling you know, organized crime, drug sells and and all
Speaker 3: of that.
Speaker 2: But there's a couple of.
Speaker 3: Other areas I think that that that you are concerned about.
Speaker 3: What what are the the other couple of areas that
Speaker 3: your office is going to focus on. I mean, obviously,
Speaker 3: the the arrest of this trinario however they pronounce it
Speaker 3: gang up in the you.
Speaker 2: Know, Lawrence Lowell area has a tremendous has had a
Speaker 2: tremendous impact and will have a tremendous impact. That sent
Speaker 2: a great message. But what are the other.
Speaker 3: I guess legs of of your administration that that you
Speaker 3: hope to stand upon when all.
Speaker 2: Is said and done.
Speaker 4: So our top priorities protecting the citizens of Massachusetts. And
Speaker 4: I know that might sound broad, but it's earnest, and
Speaker 4: we will put special emphasis on certain areas where predators
Speaker 4: are praying on the most vulnerable members of our communities,
Speaker 4: whether that is drug related violence, fraud, human trafficking. Obviously,
Speaker 4: we will continue to prioritize national security and the security
Speaker 4: of the commonwealth and public corruption. You know, we really
Speaker 4: want the members of our community to be proud of
Speaker 4: the work that is being done, and we want them
Speaker 4: to respect the men and women who work tirelessly to
Speaker 4: protect our community. And unfortunately, you know that sounds like
Speaker 4: a lot.
Speaker 10: But it's just we have units in this office that
Speaker 10: focus on all of those above mentioned crimes and offenses,
Speaker 10: and all of the units are working together in cohesively
Speaker 10: just to keep everyone safe and to make sure that
Speaker 10: the people in this commonwealth can have faith and trust
Speaker 10: in their public officials and elected officials, and in the
Speaker 10: men and women.
Speaker 4: Who starve them.
Speaker 3: My last question is when there is a presidential election,
Speaker 3: and I believe that all ninety two of the US
Speaker 3: attorneys that were US attorneys on January first, either will
Speaker 3: have resigned or be asked to resign. What percentage of
Speaker 3: the professionals in the office remain, irrespective of whether it's
Speaker 3: a Republican administration in Washington or Democratic administration, that doesn't
Speaker 3: seem to me to be a lot of turnover, particularly
Speaker 3: in US Attorney's Office, no matter which party controls the
Speaker 3: executive branch.
Speaker 4: I agree one percent. We are prosecutors, not politicians. No
Speaker 4: one signed up to be a prosecutor just in the
Speaker 4: Biden administration or the Trump administration or any other. I
Speaker 4: think I've gone through four different transitions and served under
Speaker 4: four different presidents, and we come to work every day
Speaker 4: to promote justice and that's not a political role, and
Speaker 4: it's not a political job. And people every day in
Speaker 4: this office stand up on behalf of the United States,
Speaker 4: and that's on behalf of the entire United States, not
Speaker 4: just people in one certain party. And so I think,
Speaker 4: you know, there's some people always leave to go to
Speaker 4: other jobs, but it's rare that people on the line
Speaker 4: prosecuting cases, defending the United States in civil or criminal
Speaker 4: matters view their jobs as political in any way.
Speaker 3: Leah Foley, thank you so much for your time tonight.
Speaker 3: I know it's a long day that you have, and
Speaker 3: to spend an hour with myself here on nightside and
Speaker 3: my listeners, I just can't tell much.
Speaker 2: I appreciate it.
Speaker 3: Best of luck as you take on this incredible responsibility
Speaker 3: and godspeed. I really thank you, and hopefully we can
Speaker 3: check back in perhaps in a few months and talk
Speaker 3: about some of the progress you will make.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much.
Speaker 4: Absolutely, I appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 2: Thank you absolutely, Thank you much.
Speaker 3: US attorney Leah Foley, and I can't tell you how
Speaker 3: important it is, I think. And one of the things
Speaker 3: we do here on Nightside is get a public official
Speaker 3: like Leah Foley to spend an hour with us and
Speaker 3: to take questions.
Speaker 2: So I want to thank all the callers for cooperating.
Speaker 2: And when we come back, we're going to talk about
Speaker 2: the US foreign policy.
Speaker 3: It seems to be changing in Ukraine and there looks
Speaker 3: to be like some sort of an agreement believe it
Speaker 3: or not, between the Trump administration and President Zelensky.
Speaker 2: We'll see. We'll talk about this on the other side
Speaker 2: of the ten o'clock News