Battenfeld: Could shelter audit be preview of a DiZoglio-Healey clash?

Auditor Diana DiZoglio s powerful new condemnation of the state s shelter system for migrant families threatens to dent Gov Maura Healey s re-election campaign and set up a foreseen clash between the two Democratic combatants in Could it be a preview of a heated DiZoglio-Healey head to head showdown DiZoglio has mentioned she s been urged by supporters to run for governor but it s not clear whether she would take that step or even run as an independent She s already proved her political muscle by shepherding through a statewide ballot question giving her power to audit the state Legislature a battle that s still brewing now But the audit she disclosed this week shows why the Legislature is so averse to having her go through lawmakers books DiZoglio s audit discovered the state illegally signed numerous no-bid contracts to house and feed thousands of immigrants and then failed to oversee the contracts pointing out examples of flagrant abuse costing state taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars It s why Healey made the announcement on Monday that her administration plans to close all hotel shelters this summer to preempt DiZoglio s audit coming the next day A hotel is no place to raise a family and they are the least cost effective Healey declared Really Now you ve suddenly reached that obvious conclusion So that s why you put migrant families in hotels for two years at an exorbitant cost But Healey s last minute conversion won t work The inhabitants isn t buying it Voters now know what a gravy train the state s shelter plan was for all the hotels and food vendors that supplied housing for displaced persons and the audit confirms it Maybe it s because Ed Augustus the former city manager for Worcester and a former state lawmaker was placed in charge of the shelter activity as Housing Secretary Is that the way things worked in Worcester give vendors hundreds of no-bid contracts after declaring an prolonged urgency What a complete and utter failure by the Healey administration Now Healey is suddenly declaring hotel shelters are no good because she s up for re-election next year DiZoglio would be a formidable foe for Healey if the auditor decides to run for the state s highest office next year She is a seasoned political operator who knows how to do TV interviews and advocate for her causes But Healey also is a tough opponent and a battle between the two state office holders could be one of the the bulk closely watched and competitive elections in newest years Healey already has several Republican opponents running more in the mold of Charlie Baker who served two terms But DiZoglio from the politically connected world of the Merrimack Valley would likely be an even tougher campaigner than the flailing Republican Party could put forward Healey s reaction to the audit that it s just old news and doesn t show all she s done to control shelter spending is predictable and defensive Rather than work with DiZoglio on the audit and really get to the bottom of shelter spending Healey has chosen to put her head in the sand and react politically Healey s office sent Augustus out to criticize the audit saying it misses the urgent need for reorganization to the flawed system we inherited the scale of the situation that was thrust upon Massachusetts during this time and the magnitude of the turnaround that has occurred Related Articles Mike Kennealy Republican running for governor says he warned Healey of shelter demand Northeastern governors plan June meeting to talk Trump tariffs with Canadian premiers Editorial Normalizing illegal immigration helps no one Diana DiZoglio accuses Maura Healey admin of approving unlawful no-bid contracts in shelter system Gov Maura Healey says specific of Trump s dividing line policies make sense Gov Maura Healey could see a rival rise in her own party Nancy Lane Boston Herald