Ex-Chelsea housing director faces arraignment

BOSTON (AP) - The former executive director of the Chelsea Housing Authority is due in court this week to be arraigned on charges of unlawfully soliciting contributions to support the political campaign of former Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and others.

Michael McLaughlin will be arraigned Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court.

Prosecutors said McLaughlin directed a housing authority worker to collect contributions for Murray from other employees. They said he also asked employees and others to attend fundraisers he organized for Murray.

McLaughlin was sentenced to three years in prison in July after pleading guilty to unrelated federal charges that he concealed his true salary in annual housing authority budgets.

Murray, who resigned as lieutenant governor in May, has acknowledged that McLaughlin was a political supporter, but said he never asked McLaughlin to raise campaign money.

Cox Media Group