© Jim Davis/ Globe Staff Amy Carnevale (left) took over leadership of the Massachusetts Republican Party from former chairman Jim Lyons (right) last month.
The party's new leader confirmed this week that state campaign finance regulators are investigating whether the Massachusetts Republican Party is working with an outside superparty that could violate state law.
Party Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said Sunday on the television show "On the Record" that the state Office of Campaign Finance and Political Finance is investigating the "former president's" actions related to the "independent expenditure committee." Carnevale took over as party leader from Jim Lyons last month.
"We have turned over all the documents we have on this case to the OCPF," Carnevale told The Globe on Monday. “We have not yet received any instructions as to what the OCPF will do about this… [The investigation] is ongoing.
In January, The Globe reported that Lyons was in direct contact with an outside super PAC involved in digging up dirt on Gov. Maura Healy during last year's election. Emails obtained by the Globe show that last fall, Lyons sent several messages to Antoine Nader, president of Independent Expenditure PAC for Mass Freedom, citing an opposition investigation he sought from Healy when he was running for governor.
State law prohibits independent fundraising PACs, which can accept donations of any size, from being "directly or indirectly" affiliated with political candidates or parties. In other words, these outside CCPs can spend money to support candidates, but they cannot discuss with those candidates how they plan to spend the money.
But the emails show that Lyons and Nader are working with the same opposition research firm Stirm Group to coordinate the search for Healey.
Liane did not respond to a request for comment Monday. The campaign finance agency has not confirmed whether it is investigating specific issues.
This investigation is just one of many challenges for the state. He is struggling with heavy debt and his declining influence on Beacon Hill, especially after Republican former Gov. Charlie Baker left office and was replaced by a Democrat. Carnevale said last month that before taking office, the party misrepresented hundreds of thousands of dollars to campaign finance officials and may have owed vendors up to $600,000.
The Republican Party has up to $602,152 in unpaid bills from vendors, but Carnevale believes many of the bills appear "unfounded" and "beyond the party's responsibility." That means some big prizes, including hundreds of thousands in ads for Jeff Diehl's failed gubernatorial campaign, can't go on the party's books. The party hired Red Curve Solutions to audit the payments.
The campaign finance agency is conducting an audit of the party, a process Carnevale says is nearing completion.
Globe staff Matt Stout contributed to this report.
