Register of Probate Buonomo Resigns, is Still on Ballot
Several Candidates Mount Sticker Campaigns for Office Plagued by Scandal
– Allison Goldsberry
In 2000, Middlesex County Register of Probate John Buonomo was first elected to his post after Somerville native Robert Antonelli was removed from the job for abusing his authority, according to The Somerville News.
Eight years later, Buonomo faces charges he allegedly stole money from copy and cash machines from the Registry of Deeds and he has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of his trial.
Buonomo’s arrest in early August came one week after the deadline to return nomination papers for candidates seeking to run for Register of Probate, and several people are now scrambling to get on the ballot via write-in/sticker campaigns.
Buonomo, a Democrat, resigned as Register of Probate on September 8 but did not withdraw his campaign, meaning he will still appear on the ballot for the September 16 primary.
The low-visibility, virtually unknown Register of Probate earns $110,000 per year to run a court that generally deals with family issues such as divorce, child support, and adoption.
Attorney and former Newton mayor Thomas Concannon is making his second attempt at the seat.
Concannon challenged Buonomo in 2000 in a Democratic primary and lost by less than twenty votes after Buonomo demanded a recount after initially losing to Concannon.
Concannon, running as a Democrat, faces the biggest challenge of the write-in candidates as he needs to beat Buonomo in the September 16 Democratic primary and earn at least 1,000 votes. Buonomo is the only name on the Democratic ballot and those voting for Concannon must either write in his name or place a sticker with his name on the ballot.
Concannon said he is printing 10,000 stickers for distribution in Middlesex County, the state’s largest and most populous county.
Concannon said morale has suffered at the Probate Court as a result of Buonomo’s arrest and needs to improve with a new Register of Probate. He also said he would like to see several changes at the court to improve customer service to a diverse county that includes non-native English speakers.
Concannon said the court, located in a nineteenth century building, should be more “clean and inviting,” and is in dire need of a technological update.
“It’s a court that needs a lot of help,” said Concannon.
Concannon, elected in 1994 as Newton’s first Democratic mayor, has been practicing probate and family law for thirty-eight years and has a current events show on Newton’s local cable access television.
Somerville Alderman Sean O’Donovan, also a Democrat, has switched party designations to run as a Working Families candidate.
According to a mailing sent out by O’Donovan, he decided to challenge Buonomo because of his arrest and “breach of public trust and…fiduciary responsibility” to Middlesex County residents.
“When I first saw the Middlesex County Register of Probate stealing taxpayer money, I was shocked and dismayed. I immediately wanted to run to restore professionalism and ethics to that office,” O’Donovan told The Somerville News in a recent article.
Natick Republican John Lambert is also making a run for the seat. Lambert, son of former Middlesex County Register of Probate Donna Lambert, ran against Buonomo six years ago and recently told the MetroWest Daily News he is running again because Buonomo “messed up very bad.”
O’Donovan, Lambert, and other non-Democratic candidates need to earn at least 1,000 votes to appear on the ballot in November.
According to Concannon, if Buonomo wins in next week’s primary the Democratic Party will likely hold a caucus with the Democratic town and city chairs to determine which candidate will represent the Democrats on the ballot in the November election.
Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone said Buonomo is accused of repeatedly stealing cash from copy machines and money machines in the Office of the Register of Deeds during June, July, and August. A video camera caught Buonomo in the act numerous times during those months.
Buonomo, 56, of Newton, is charged with eighteen counts of breaking and entering into a depository and eight counts of theft of public property by a city, town, or county officer- both felonies- and eight counts of larceny under $250- a misdemeanor.
Concannon photo courtesy Gatehouse Media. O’Donovan photo courtesy The Somerville News.