Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced during a press conference on Wednesday her nomination to the state Supreme Court, but her selection is drawing criticism from the state’s Republican Party, which called the pick “highly inappropriate.”
Of naming Massachusetts Appeals Court Associate Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian, Healey said “there is no one more qualified or better prepared to serve” on the state’s high court than her.
"She has an exceptional understanding of the law and a strong commitment to the administration of justice,” the governor added.
The problem? Healey had a romantic relationship with her for years.
According to the State House News Service, Healey and Wolohojian lived together in Charlestown and their relationship first became public in 2013 when Healey announced a run for attorney general. A Boston Magazine article from 2015 said the pair had been together for eight years after meeting at a Boston law firm.
They were no longer living together by the time Healey was elected governor in 2022, the News Service said. Healey now lives in Arlington with new partner Joanna Lydgate. (WBZ-TV News)
Healey appeared unfazed by questions about her nomination.
"Of course I had a personal relationship with Judge Wolohojian for many years, so I happen to also know something about her character, integrity and the kind of person she is," said told reporters. "I don't want the fact that she had a personal relationship with me to deprive the Commonwealth of a person who's most qualified for the position."
Blasting the pick, MassGOP chairwoman Amy Carnevale called the selection “highly inappropriate.”
"This nomination clearly demonstrates a lack of accountability inherent in one-party rule,” Carnevale added.
Wolohojian must be confirmed by the Governor's Council before she can fill the seat vacated by retired Justice David Lowy.
One attorney on the panel, Terrence Kennedy, explained to WBZ-TV News that only the judge's qualifications will be considered.
"Our job is not to decide this case based on personal relationships," Kennedy said. "Our job is to decide whether this nominee's qualified."