Gov. Maura Healey announced on Friday that she will begin disclosing her out-of-state travel again, but only if asked and after the month ends. This is a reversal of her previous decision to not inform the public about her personal trips out of state.
Healey has been criticized and questioned in the past week after it became known that she took a four-day trip last month, with her aides refusing to reveal the destination.
Healey's spokesperson Karissa Hand stated that Healey went to Puerto Rico on a birthday trip with her partner, Joanna Lydgate. Hand mentioned that future out-of-state trips will be included in her calendar at the end of each month, available to the media upon request.
“The governor’s focus is on balancing the need to protect the privacy and security of her family while also providing information to the public. Last month, the governor’s partner, Joanna Lydgate, took her to Puerto Rico for a long weekend for her birthday – their first vacation together in a long time,” Hand said in a statement.
Healey previously stated last fall that her office would stop informing the public about her out-of-state travels due to “security concerns,” which was a departure from the governor’s previous policy and that of her predecessor, former Gov. Charlie Baker. would stop telling the public this change was differemt from her previous policy and that of the former Governor, Charlie Baker.
At another event earlier this week, Healey defended her decision to keep her travel plans private.
“I continue to provide details about all of my work-related travel. I’ve also said that my personal life is my personal life and I’m going to work to make sure that privacy is maintained for my family,” she told reporters.
