Freshman Massachusetts state Rep. Mark Cusack, 26, is being investigated by the office of House Speaker Robert DeLeo for allegedly engaging in an indecent act with a female legislative employee. The two were discovered by a court officer in the supposedly empty chamber. Cusack has served less than six months. Read More

Aubrey “Bud” Groskopf, an elected official in Yarmouth, Mass., waved around a fake handgun at a candidates forum. He was dramatizing his argument that environmentalists are “pointing the gun at our temple” to force the Cape Cod town to build sewers. Although Groskopf warned the audience the gun was a toy before pulling it out, some people panicked and ran from the room. Stung by criticism, he said at least he managed to draw attention to the sewer controversy. Read More

This week, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s announcement that he was forming a presidential exploratory committee coincided with the five-year anniversary of his signature legislative accomplishment, the Bay State’s health care law. Much of this week’s political analysis has focused on whether Romney could survive the Republican primary given the striking similarities between his health care law and the one President Barack Obama signed last year. Read More

Johnnie Butts allegedly tried selling fake gold jewelry to the wrong man at a suburban Boston supermarket. He offered William Pace a bracelet and a chain marked 14-karat gold for $100. Two problems arose: Pace, who was out of uniform, is the police chief in Randolph, Mass., and he also owns a jewelry store. He could tell the gold was fake by its look and feel. So he arrested Butts on a charge of attempted larceny by false pretense. Read More