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A company where the husband of Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., is a partner was selected for a nearly $2 billion deal to build a new courthouse in Springfield, Massachusetts — a decision now being challenged in court by rejected bidders who allege conflicts of interest tainted the process.
Conan Harris, who has been married to the Massachusetts Democrat for more than a decade, is a partner with John Barros in CoJo Real Estate, which is part of the Liberty Junction team selected in early July for the 40-year courthouse lease, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs allege Barros’ role as interim executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) created a conflict of interest because several members of that agency’s board also serve on the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, the state agency that selected Liberty Junction.
The lawsuit also described Harris as having “deep conflicts,” but its most detailed allegations center on Barros’ leadership role at the MCCA, another state agency.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-M.A., and her husband Conan Harris join picketing hotel workers at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on September 2, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Pressley, a member of the “Squad,” was not accused of any wrongdoing by the plaintiffs, and there is no evidence she was involved in the bidding process to rebuild the aging Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse.
Records show the bidding process formally began June 30, 2025, when DCAMM released its request for proposals for the Springfield courthouse project.
The plaintiffs argued that when Barros became the head of the MCCA on Jan. 14, 2026, he did not disclose his participation in the courthouse bidding process to the State Ethics Commission.
The lawsuit also said the Liberty Junction proposal was not updated to indicate that Barros had been appointed to a leading role on the MCCA.
The skyline of downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. (John Greim/LightRocket)
Massachusetts law generally bars state employees from having a direct or indirect financial interest in state contracts, unless they qualify for an exemption, such as by making required disclosures to the State Ethics Commission and not participating in the contracting agency’s work.
Fox News Digital reached out to Barros and Harris for comment.
Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, defended the bidding process in a statement to reporters this week, saying that the city of Springfield deserves a new courthouse and calling the current building “sick.”
A rendering of what the Springfield Justice Center will look like once it is completed. (Massachusetts State Government)
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“This was a competitive procurement process. It was a competitive bid, and the project that was chosen was the one that cost the taxpayers the least. I stand up for taxpayers. I’m all about supporting whatever is going to cost the taxpayers the least amount of money, as somebody who wants to protect taxpayer dollars,” Healey said on Wednesday, according to WWLP-TV.
The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told the Boston Herald on Tuesday that the Healey administration should “immediately pause this deal, release the relevant procurement records, conflict disclosures, scoring documents, and communications, and allow these allegations to be fully reviewed.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Healey’s office for comment.