Massachusetts Democrats believe that public officials should be held to the highest standards of integrity and accountability. We believe that government should be open and inclusive. We know that preserving the public’s trust in government is critically important to the future of our democracy.
Massachusetts Democrats should:
- Promote a policy and culture that is open and welcoming to all opinions and candidates at all levels.
- Be willing to help candidates campaign and use the party to run with their ideas. Not only say one is democratic, but also act democratic.
- Enumerate a list of unacceptable behaviors.
- Utilize or create a body [committee] that polices and investigates policy violations and responds to complaints.
- Promote and enforce accountability of the leadership.
- Create a comprehensive ethics training program for candidates and officials at all levels.
- Expect a Democratic elected officials and candidates to adhere to the Democratic platform.
- Call upon all Democratic candidates for office to declare prior to primary elections that they will neither seek nor accept contributions from corporations, nor establish or seek funds from political action committees, depending instead upon individual contributions as currently limited by state law, as evidence of the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s commitment to the rejection of the corrosive impact of unlimited campaign spending on public trust in free and fair elections, since the dependence of candidates for office on these massive sums renders them vulnerable to lobbyist pressure and and “pay for play” influence peddling.