Boston Mayor Thomas Menino received thousands of dollars in contributions from Liberty Mutual executives

On July 2, 2009, the Liberty Mutual insurance company closed on its purchase of the property at the corners of Columbus Avenue and Berkeley Street for $23,500,000 through a shell corporation, Berkeley-Columbus Llc. On September 1, 2009, it closed on the purchase of two adjoining properties, located at 147-155 Columbus Ave, for $5,000,000.

During this same time-frame, executives at Liberty Mutual were contributing thousands of dollars to the mayor’s re-election campaign committee. (Data pulled from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Office of Campaign and Political Finance website.)

In the eighteen months leading up to July 2009 no contributions were made to the mayor’s campaign committee, nor have any contributions been made, since.

Yesterday, it was announced that Liberty Mutual has proposed building a 25-30 story office tower at this location and that it will be petitioning, with assistance from the city, to reduce its property tax bill by $16-million over the next twenty years.

Here is a list of contributions made by people employed by Liberty Mutual between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009.

Included is a $500 (maximum) contribution by Liberty Mutual chairman and chief executive officer Edmund Kelly, who was quoted saying in a Boston Redevelopment Authority press release, “We thank Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick and their staffs for working so hard and creatively with Liberty Mutual to make this investment in Boston and its future economically attractive.”

No, Mr Kelly, on behalf of Mayor Menino, “Thank you.”

UPDATE: I didn’t make it clear that in no way am I suggesting that political donations influence decisions on the part of any elected official. No, seriously I’ve never believed that a couple hundred dollars from someone makes a politician do something (or, not do something). I’ve always felt that way. In this case, it’s more that suddenly the people at Liberty Mutual seem to have been like “OMG! We have to help the mayor!” Or, something similar.

My beef is with the way development decisions are made in the city of Boston. The whole process is a ridiculous state of affairs. The BRA is arbitrary in its decisions. The Mayor overrides decisions on whims. Meanwhile, neighborhood residents spend thousands of hours at meetings to come up with plans that are then cast aside whenever the BRA and/or the Mayor (same thing?) decides to go another way.

Or, am I being too skeptical?

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Lovvoll, Thomas
32 Hillcrest Road Reading, MA 01867 Senior Tax Manager
Liberty Mutual $100.00

McGlennon, James
149 Larch Road Cambridge, MA 02138 Sr. Vice President
Liberty Mutual Group $500.00

Murphy, Sean
18 Stanford Drive Hingham, MA 02043 Corporate RE
Liberty Mutual $250.00

Whiteknact, Karen
5 Crownridge Road Westborough, MA 01581 AVP
Liberty Mutual Corporate RE $250.00

Condrin, J.
12 Snow’s Hill Lane Dover, MA 02030 Commercial Markets
Liberty Mutual $500.00

Alexander, Paul
2400 Mass Ave. Lexington, MA 02421 SVP Communications
Liberty Mutual $250.00

Baldini, Donald
10 Hawthorne Road Winchester, MA 01890 Attorney
Liberty Mutual $100.00

Carrow, Deborah
42 Normandy Road Lexington, MA 02421 Vice President
Liberty Mutual Group $250.00

Fontanes, A.
18 Clark Road Hingham, MA 02043 Insurance
Liberty Mutual $500.00

Gregg, Gary
82 Parkwood Drive Milton, MA 02186 Insurance
Liberty Mutual $500.00

Kelly, Edmund
315 Wellesley Street Weston, MA 02493 Chairman & CEO
Liberty Mutual $500.00

Langwell, Dennis
44 Dartmouth Street Boston, MA 02116 SVP & CFO
Liberty Mutual $500.00

Mansfield, Christopher
50 Woodleigh Road Dedham, MA 02026 Sr. VP
Liberty Mutual $500.00

Quinlan, Richard
17 Myers Farm Road Hingham, MA 02043 Insurance
Liberty Mutual $250.00

Total contributions: $4,950