City Councilor Tito Jackson will have to disclose donors and donations to his community charity — just as Mayor Martin J. Walsh did with his own nonprofit — if the Roxbury councilor hopes to have any chance in his longshot bid for mayor, according to a longtime City Hall watcher.
“That’s probably what will happen,” said City Hall watchdog Joe Slavet. “From here on in, because of his extraordinary lead and support, Walsh is going to take the high ground in all these controversies.”
The Herald reported yesterday that Jackson, who has championed tenants’ rights and affordable housing, has taken donations from some of the Hub’s biggest landlords to his Tito Jackson Community Fund, which the mayoral hopeful uses for charity work.
One donor in particular, Anwar Faisal of Alpha Management, has drawn Jackson’s ire for not addressing tenant complaints.
A Walsh spokeswoman had no comment on whether Jackson should disclose his charity’s financial information, and Jackson refused to comment too.
Under state law, Jackson does not have to disclose who donates to his fund and how much they give. But Walsh, under similar scrutiny last fall for contributions to his own fund, MJW Charitable Foundation, eventually relented.
Walsh’s example could put pressure on Jackson, who otherwise runs the risk of coming across as less than transparent, Slavet said.
“Walsh won’t get tougher with Jackson, he’ll do things to show he’s confident,” Slavet said. “Jackson’s got to pull a few rabbits out of his hat.”
