Political Circuit: Questions of ethics

"How would this appear to a third party?"

"How would this appear to a third party who is on a grand jury?"

"How would this appear to a third party who is a radio talk show host?"

The PowerPoint did not specify which talk show host city employees should keep in mind, but we're fairly certain they were not talking about Tom Ashbrook.

-- MICHAEL LEVENSON

Civil servant today, leader tomorrow?

Who knew that the state Department of Industrial Accidents, where state bureaucrats rule on workers compensation claims, was a breeding ground for Lawrence politics?

Two employees have left the agency, one at least temporarily, to campaign for mayor of the working-class city near the New Hampshire border.Marcos Devers, who was the regional DIA director in Lawrence, resigned in March, he said, to focus on running in the Sept. 22 nonpartisan primary. Patrick Blanchette, the City Council president and brother of former state representative Kevin Blanchette, took a leave of absence earlier this month from his job as a DIA "conciliator" to jump into the fray.

Blanchette, who was Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray's Merrimack Valley coordinator in the 2006 campaign, said that this is not the first time the rivals' career paths have crossed. They were elected to the City Council together in 1999, and they both taught at Greater Lawrence Technical School before joining DIA.

"It can't happen again," said Blanchette, 32. "This time, only one of us can win."

In a city where the majority of registered voters are Latino, Blanchette is one of three non-Hispanic candidates in a field of 10 running to succeed Mayor Michael Sullivan, who can't run again because of term limits.

-- ANDREA ESTES

A valuable institutional memory

The Patrick administration rescued Eddie Jenkins when the former chairman of the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission parted ways recently with his boss, Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, giving him an $80,000-a-year job at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

It was a risky proposition, given that the agency was laying off people and that the position -- director of enforcement services -- hadn't been filled in a year. Now some Registry employees are wondering what he does and whether he even has an office.

Jenkins could not be reached for comment, but RMV spokeswoman Ann Dufresne insisted that Jenkins is working out of the driver control unit in the Chinatown branch. "He has a desk," she said, adding that his responsibilities include overseeing the unit that handles, among other thing, driver's license suspensions.

His real value, though, could be political.

With Cahill preparing to potentially challenge Patrick in next year's election, Jenkins -- whose relationship with Cahill was strained -- may be able to furnish ammo to use against the treasurer should the campaign get ugly.

-- ANDREA ESTES

No thanks, Sandy

The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker has apparently decided it does not want help raising money from Alexander ''Sandy'' Tennant, the GOP operative with a colorful past who was featured in this space last week.

Tennant, a central figure in the infamous 1999 MassPort ''booze cruise,'' had been working to help Baker build a campaign war chest. Initially, Baker's camp said it was happy to have the help, calling themselves ''pleased'' to have his backing.

That, evidently, has changed. Baker's campaign now says it has no interest in Tennant's assistance.

"We will not be accepting any checks or financial support from Sandy, nor will he be hosting any fundraising events for us,'' said Baker spokesman Rob Gray.

-- FRANK PHILLIPS