Unemployment Claim Draws Media, Lawmaker Interest

A is doing more than just generating heavy media interest – it’s also got the attention of state officials and lawmakers.

At Monday night’s selectmen’s meeting, Town Administrator Bill Gustus talked briefly about the letter, and in his presentation did not name the retired town officer whose unemployment claim helped trigger the current media attention. And, this case is apparently just one of many similar ones that have frustrated local officials statewide and diminished numerous budgets in recent years.

"We think that all of these instances are way over the top," said Gustus.

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On Wednesday, the Boston Herald reported that the retired Lynnfield officer in question is 70-year-old Hartley Boudreau, a Peabody resident who was quoted by the newspaper as saying “I don’t understand what everybody is making such a big deal about. I’m not breaking the law.”

Elsewhere, a separate report Wednesday on the Fox 25 Boston website says that Governor Patrick “said he is going to take care of the issue.”

House Republican Leader Brad Jones, who represents Lynnfield, announced in a Wednesday afternoon statement that he was in contact with town officials about the matter and that he would be “filing corrective and/or clarifying language at the state level.”

“While at first glance it does not appear that anything illegal was done, it is abundantly clear that there are some gaping holes in what the intention was of the public policy versus what the law allows,” said Jones. “The situations outlined in today’s (Herald) article highlight the serious need to review and overhaul our state’s unemployment rules and laws, as well as the administration of such benefits.”