Conan Harris, the husband of U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), declined to answer questions on election night about a $2 billion state contract for a new Springfield courthouse awarded in part to a firm he co-owns with the interim head of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
"This is about family and this is about today's election. Have a good day," Harris said at Pressley's victory speech in Boston on Tuesday. He ignored a follow-up question on whether his wife's re-election further secures the deal.
The state Division of Capital Asset Management awarded the contract to Liberty Junction, a partnership that includes CoJo Partners, the Boston-based firm co-owned by Harris and MCCA interim Executive Director John Barros. Harris has avoided media questions at several events as public criticism of the award has grown.
Barros did not disclose his financial interest in the company until a day after the bid was awarded, according to the original lawsuit. He later divested his interest as scrutiny of his role increased.
Court documents filed in an appeal by two of the 10 losing bidders, western Massachusetts car dealer Jeb Balise and businessman Dinesh Patel, show Barros met with top staffers in Gov. Maura Healey's administration hours before the winning bid was announced. An MCCA privilege log obtained through a public records request lists an 8:30 a.m. meeting on July 2 between Barros and Healey's senior staff on "communications strategy deliberations on the RFP."
Late last month, Hampden Superior Court Judge David Hodge allowed discovery to proceed in the appeal, denying Liberty Junction's motion to quash it. Hodge had denied Balise and Patel's request for injunctive relief in August. The two filed their original suit in July through their business entities, USPB JV, LLC and Tower Square, LLC.
Pressley has defended her husband while distancing herself from the procurement process and his finances.
"I don't have any unique insights on that. My husband and I met later in life. We got married later in our life. We keep our finances and everything completely separate," Pressley said in August. "We met later in life, our finances are separate, I don't know anything."
Harris remains with CoJo Partners and on the contract. Pressley's estimated net worth rose from about $12,500 when she served on the Boston City Council in 2018 to about $8 million in 2024, according to OpenSecrets figures cited in the report. Her congressional salary is $174,000.
Discovery in the bidders' appeal now moves forward, opening the door to more records on how the contract was awarded.
