Thursday, 4:30 PM
Romney magistrate candidate withdraws
By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff
Governor Mitt Romney's nominee for a top magistrate's position in the Housing Court abruptly withdrew his name from consideration today, amid revelations that he had been reprimanded for sexually harassing a female coworker six years ago.
Stephen G. Carreiro sent a letter to the governor's office saying he wished to express his thanks for the governor's "trust and confidence," but that he had decided to withdraw his name, said Governor’s Councilor Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney.
Carreiro's decision to withdraw came came less than 24 hours before the Governor's Council, an eight-member panel that must confirmation judicial nominees, was scheduled to vote on his nomination.
Romney had been under increasing pressure to withdraw the nomination since last week, when Carreiro acknowledged that as an assistant clerk magistrate in the Southeast Division of the Housing Court, he had been reprimanded for telling a female coworker that he wanted her to give him a lap dance. Carreiro made the remark as he was preparing to go to the Foxy Lady strip club on his lunch break. He told the Governor's Council during his confirmatin hearing last week that the comment had been misinterpreted.
Governor's councilors said they were angry that he had not disclosed the reprimand on questionairres they had sent him prior to his confirmation hearing.
Carreiro is currently acting clerk magistrate for the court.
