The suspended head of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home this week denied covering up a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the state-run facility. More than 70 veterans testing positive for the virus have died there.
Bennett Walsh released documents through his attorney and uncle William Bennett, indicating he told state officials about COVID-19 positive cases well before he was placed on administrative leave.
Some officials, including Governor Charlie Baker, have said they were shocked to find out about the situation, and several investigations are ongoing.
Bennett is a former district attorney in Hampden County.
"For anyone to suggest that he covered up, concealed, or tried to hide a public health crisis affecting the veterans he was committed to serve is a slander on his good name," he said at a news conference Tuesday.
Panelist Mike Dobbs said he's putting together a story for his newspapers about the matter.
"I'm going through all of the information that William Bennett supplied," Dobbs said. "And it does paint a different picture. And the picture is a guy who actually told the people who need to be told about the incidents of COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, and did so on a timetable that would indicate that he was very responsive to what he was being told by the medical staff."
Unions representing workers at the Soldiers' Home have criticized the way the crisis was handled internally.
Panelist Dave Eisenstadter said he does think state officials should have provided more resources if they knew about the outbreak.
"It's a little bit difficult to know exactly what went on before the final report is released," Eisenstadter said. "There are other investigations going on. I'm not surprised that Bennett came out with this to get ahead of that report. Governor Baker has said that it's going to come out soon. There's a real hunger for some accountability during this COVID crisis. Seventy six lives were lost — it might be more than that. And somebody needs to be held accountable for that."
Also this week, protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody spread to cities across the United States, including in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Friday. An online petition calls for Springfield officiers to be required to carry personal liability insurance. Supporters say this would make it easier to identify officers who use violence, and would price them out of a job.
And Connecticut's tribal casinos are poised to reopen over the objections of Governor Ned Lamont. The governor at one point this week threatened to pull the liquor licenses, which the state controls for the facilities. But the casino operators have said since they are sovereign nations, they can open if they want.
As things start to reopen across New England, one panelist says he's not going to be rushing to cross state lines to shop or go to a restaurant.
Guests:
- Mike Dobbs, managing editor, The Reminder
- Dave Eisenstadter, veteran western Mass. journalist
