BOSTON
— A two-year legal saga stemming from the attempt to fire the head of the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), Shannon O’Brien, has left Massachusetts taxpayers with a hefty legal bill. 25 Investigates found the total cost to the state for the failed termination reached $955,153.33.

O’Brien was ultimately reinstated to her position as CCC Chair following a successful lawsuit for wrongful termination.

The state’s Treasury Office, led by Treasurer Deb Goldberg, hired the Boston-based law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius to handle the case. Invoices obtained through a public records request detail how the bills piled up.

The $955,153.33 total includes legal fees, as well as expenses for data, copying, user fees, and even catering services. Invoices show specific instances of billing:

November 2023: Lawyers logged more than 213 hours at a rate of $488.18 per hour, plus additional fees, resulting in a single monthly bill of $105,689.82.

March 2024: The firm billed for 175.3 hours, with certain senior partners charging up to $865 per hour. This bill, including other fees, totaled over $121,000.

The firm did offer “courtesy” discounts totaling more than $69,632.50, which prevented the final cost from surging past the $1 million mark.

O’Brien returned to her job in September following Superior Court Judge Robert B. Gordon’s ruling that restored her position with full back pay. Gordon determined O’Brien made “errors of judgment”, but he labeled the legal framework to fire O’Brien a “house of cards” and “thin as gruel.”

O’Brien had been accused of making “racially, ethnically and culturally insensitive statements” and fostering a hostile work environment at the CCC. O’Brien denied the allegations but was suspended and then fired a year later.

In response to the newly uncovered financial cost, O’Brien emphasized the judge’s assessment of the case. “This was costly to me financially and professionally,” she said, adding that questions about the cost to taxpayers “must be addressed to the treasurer’s office.” O’Brien stated her current focus is to ensure the CCC is “more transparent and accountable for the public funds it spends.”

Treasurer Goldberg declined to respond.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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