Nov. 22--FALMOUTH -- The state office in charge of overseeing campaign finance laws will take no action against a Falmouth firefighter who used town email accounts to promote his former boss' bid for a selectman's seat.
A letter from the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to Falmouth firefighter Russell Ferreira informed him that although the office determined he had not complied with the state's campaign finance law, he did take corrective action to mitigate the lapse.
"When you learned from OCPF that the email did not comply with the campaign finance law, you immediately sent a retraction to all persons who had received it," read the June 13 letter, signed by OCPF director Michael Sullivan. "Because we anticipate that our guidance will ensure future compliance, we have determined that this matter may be closed at this time."
Ferreira, president of the Falmouth Firefighters' Union Local 1397, used his town email account in March to notify town employees of upcoming meet-and-greet fundraisers for former Fire Chief Paul Brodeur for his board of selectmen campaign.
Town Clerk Michael Palmer alerted OCPF after he noticed the email.
When town officials became aware of the breach in campaign law, Brodeur told the Times that the incident was a misunderstanding.
"He got a little rambunctious," Brodeur told the Times in March. "But nothing malicious was intended."
Ferreira's emails, which urged recipients to "please stop by to support one of Falmouth's most dedicated leaders," violated several aspects of the campaign finance law on the Bay State, Sullivan said in his letter.
The law prohibits public employees from direct or indirect political fundraising; receipt or solicitation of campaign contributions in a building occupied for state, county or municipal purposes; and the use of public resources, including computer servers, for any political purpose.
The Falmouth Fire Department did not return a message requesting comment on the matter.
Fire Chief Mark Sullivan told the Times in March that there was no internal investigation or plans for disciplinary action in connection with Ferreira's emails.
