Top MA law enforcement officials violated ethics law in arrest report scandal, commission finds

BOSTON — When a judge’s daughter was arrested in 2017, top law enforcement officials likely violated ethics law when they conspired to have the arrest report altered in the woman’s favor, according to a report released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Ethics Commission.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early, Former State Police Colonel Richard McKeon, Senior First Assistant District Attorney Jeffery Travers and Former State Police Major Susan Anderson were the subject of the probe launched by the ethics commission.

Alli Bibaud, the daughter of a Dudley District Court judge, was arrested for operating under the influence in October 2017. During the arrest, the report stated she made profane comments and allegedly admitted to sexual acts in exchange for drugs. Later, two state troopers came forward, saying they were forced to make changes to Bibaud’s arrest report, redacting some of the comments attributed to Bibaud.

Reports released Wednesday show cause to hold public hearings investigating possible violations of conflict of interest laws by several top law enforcement officials.

McKeon was forced to retire early in the wake of the scandal, while DA Early has remained largely unaffected by allegations he was part of the conspiracy to redact the report.

The State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division issued Orders to Show Cause today alleging Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., Senior First Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Travers, Former State Police Colonel Richard McKeon, and former State Police Major Susan Anderson violated the conflict of interest law through actions related to an attempt to replace the original report of the arrest of a judge’s daughter with a revised report omitting quotes and descriptions of sexually explicit statements and other statements reportedly made by the daughter.

—  State Ethics Commission Spokesperson

“After receiving a copy of the arrest report, Travers allegedly notified Early that the report contained the daughter’s sexually explicit statements and statement that her father was a judge. Early, the chief law enforcement officer in Worcester County, then called McKeon to alert him to the contents of the report. The following day, Early allegedly told McKeon that McKeon could revise the report to remove the sexually explicit statements and the reference to the judge,” a news release states. “McKeon allegedly issued an order through the State Police chain of command that the arresting trooper revise the arrest report by removing the sexually explicit statements and the statement in which the daughter identified her father as a judge.”

It is against ethics law for public employees to use -- or even attempt to use -- their position to obtain an unwarranted privilege.

The ethics commission says Early, Travers, McKeon and Anderson violated the conflict of interest section of ethics law by using their powers to have the arrest report altered.

“The removal of the sexually explicit statements and other embarrassing statements would be an unwarranted privilege for the judge and his daughter. This privilege would not be properly available to other people in similar situations,” an ethics commission spokesperson said.

The Commission will schedule public hearings on the allegations in the coming weeks.

“As the Commission’s press release accurately reflects, they previously voted reasonable cause and invited me to settle by way of a disposition agreement. That invitation came just before Christmas and I declined it because my actions fit squarely within the rules of professional conduct that bind us as prosecutors. As DA, I am supposed to take steps to prevent the law enforcement officers with whom we work from making statements that will be publicly disseminated in the media that hold defendants up to ridicule and affect their right to a fair trial. I adhered to those ethical rules in this situation and will continue to do so, just as I have throughout my tenure. I look forward to a public hearing.”

—  Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

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