An ad appearing on Flanagan’s Facebook page. Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan may pull off one of the most improbable election victories in history in three weeks: the odds are […]
Jack Sullivan
Jack Sullivan is now retired. A veteran of the Boston newspaper scene for nearly three decades. Prior to joining CommonWealth, he was editorial page editor of The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, a part of the GateHouse Media chain. Prior to that he was news editor at another GateHouse paper, The Enterprise of Brockton, and also was city edition editor at the Ledger. Jack was an investigative and enterprise reporter and executive city editor at the Boston Herald and a reporter at The Boston Globe.
He has reported stories such as the federal investigation into the Teamsters, the workings of the Yawkey Trust and sale of the Red Sox, organized crime, the church sex abuse scandal and the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the State House, state and local politics, K-16 education, courts, crime, and general assignment.
Jack received the New England Press Association award for investigative reporting for a series on unused properties owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, and shared the association's award for business for his reporting on the sale of the Boston Red Sox. As the Ledger editorial page editor, he won second place in 2007 for editorial writing from the Inland Press Association, the nation's oldest national journalism association of nearly 900 newspapers as members.
At CommonWealth, Jack and editor Bruce Mohl won first place for In-Depth Reporting from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors for a look at special education funding in Massachusetts. The same organization also awarded first place to a unique collaboration between WFXT-TV (FOX25) and CommonWealth for a series of stories on the Boston Redevelopment Authority and city employees getting affordable housing units, written by Jack and Bruce.
GateHouse gobbles up more newspapers
Remember when GateHouse Media officials sent out memos cutting back on buying things like coffee and office supplies like, oh, paper, and the company’s stock went from an initial offering […]
Judge wants O’Brien, Tavares near homes
US District Court Judge William Young, who last week sentenced former Probation commissioner John O’Brien and his top deputy Elizabeth Tavares to surprisingly lenient prison sentences, has endorsed their requests […]
Updating his resume
Photos by Mark Ostow DESPITE EIGHT YEARS as governor and rampant speculation that he some day will run for president, Deval Patrick still thinks of himself as a kid from […]
MassDOT pulls another U-turn
State transportation officials abruptly reversed themselves on Friday and reinstituted a ban on a controversial asphalt additive after initial tests on samples from newly paved roads showed the material falls […]
Tapping driver phones for traffic updates
recognizing that drivers need real-time information about the road ahead, state transportation officials are preparing to spend $10 million over the next year building out a high-tech system to provide […]
Probation verdicts to end pensions
When former Probation commissioner John J. O’Brien and two of his top deputies return to court on November 12 for sentencing, they’re not just facing the potential loss of their […]
Laying it down, testing it later
TRANSPORTATION AND ENGINEERING officials from across New England gathered at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in June for what was being called an emergency “pavement summit.” The officials had learned a […]
Judge goes very easy on O’Brien, aides
A federal judge on Thursday ignored sentencing guidelines and the recommendations of prosecutors – as well as his own history – before handing out much lighter-than-expected sentences to former Probation […]
Tearful Tavares admits rigged hiring system
Former deputy Probation commissioner Elizabeth Tavares, in a sobbing plea for leniency on her conviction for racketeering and mail fraud, publicly acknowledged for the first time that a rigged hiring […]
Judge signals stiff terms for O’Brien, aides
Prosecutors in the federal trial of former Probation commissioner John O’Brien and his two top deputies said on Wednesday they will not pursue bribery charges after the judge indicated he […]
Coakley v Sanders
With a six-hour-long court hearing on the settlement agreement between Partners HealthCare System and the Attorney General’s office coming to a close, Martha Coakley rose from her seat in the […]
Ruling increases O’Brien prison time
A federal judge said on Thursday that John O’Brien’s prison time will be significantly increased because the convicted former Probation commissioner “abused a position of public trust.” O’Brien was convicted […]
Prosecutors: Nothing new in O’Brien motion
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday dismissed claims by attorneys for former Probation commissioner John O’Brien and two top deputies that they had “newly discovered evidence” that a top judge lied under […]
DOT’s asphalt nightmare
State transportation officials are scrambling to justify a potentially costly flip-flop that could end up leaving the state with mile after mile of crumbling roads. Frank DePaola, the state’s highway […]
Top judge urges end to mandatory drug sentences
The state’s top judge is calling on the Legislature to end mandatory minimum sentences for drug convictions, saying the fixed punishments fall disproportionately on minorities, give too much power to […]
Prosecutors dismiss bid for Probation acquittals
Federal prosecutors who won the convictions of former Probation commissioner John O’Brien and two deputies on racketeering, conspiracy, and mail fraud charges are urging a judge to dismiss motions by […]
Judge has concerns in Partners deal
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders said in light of volumes of opposition comments, she has concerns about the impact of an agreement between the Attorney General and Partners Healthcare […]
Partners deal amended; Coakley rebuts critics
Attorney General Martha Coakley on Thursday revised her antitrust agreement with Partners Healthcare Systems, convincing the hospital giant to agree to additional price caps and service commitments on the North […]
Probation lawyers say jury asked too many questions
Lawyers for the three Probation officials convicted of racketeering and mail fraud filed motions on Tuesday seeking their clients’ acquittal, in part claiming the federal trial judge’s decision to allow […]
Patrick endorses Tolman in AG primary
Gov. Deval Patrick waded into the tightest race on the Democratic primary ballot on Thursday by endorsing a political insider instead of a fresh-face newcomer whose run for office is […]
Brennan settlement not black and white
As Martha Coakley runs for governor, every decision she makes as attorney general seems to become campaign fodder for her opponents. Her defense of the Department of Children and Families, […]
When cops kill, silence can be deadly
If the fatal shooting in Missouri last weekend of 18-year-old Michael Brown was simply about a police officer’s use of deadly force, it would be like most of the estimated 400 […]
Losing Olympic bid could mean gold
In addition to the polarizing debate over whether or not Boston can and should host the 2024 Summer Olympics, there’s more than a few people on both sides wondering what actually prompted the bid. There’s […]
