Governor defends his long time adviser

WWLP TV

Updated: May 11, 2012 8:01 PM

BOSTON (WWLP) — A past scandal caused a Patrick Administration official to decline a job offer from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

Governor Deval Patrick said there are a number of stories in the media distracting the Massachusetts Gaming Commission from their work, one of them involving one of his economic development advisor's Carl Stanley McGee.

McGee declined an offer from the Gaming Commission to become its Interim Executive Director.

In a message to the Commission, McGee wrote, "After much personal thought and given the growing distractions, I have decided that I cannot be effective in the job I was offered."

McGee has been caught in a media firestorm over allegations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy in Florida in 2007.

Citing a lack of evidence, prosecutors dropped the charges against McGee and the boy's family settled with him in civil court.

According to Gov. Deval Patrick, "He and anyone else under those circumstances should be entitled to resume their life. He is a very, very strong, very able, high contributing member of our team and I hope he'll come back."

McGee joined the Patrick administration in 2007 and wrote the first draft of the governor's first casino bill proposal.

He will return to his position as Assistant Secretary for policy in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

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