Shannon O'Brien, the state's top cannabis regulator who was suspended by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg last month, has put her lawsuit against the treasurer on hold.
O'Brien filed a motion in Suffolk Superior Court Thursday to continue her request for a preliminary injunction, writing that Goldberg has agreed to meet with her on Nov. 7.
O'Brien and Goldberg were scheduled to head to court on Friday afternoon for the preliminary injunction. O'Brien filed her lawsuit late last month and asked a judge to stop her suspension.
“I filed my lawsuit in order to force Treasurer Goldberg to follow the law and give me an opportunity to be heard. She notified my legal counsel yesterday that we will have a hearing in early November," O'Brien said in a statement. “When I was appointed by Treasurer Goldberg, she gave me a clear mandate to fix the very real and long-standing problems at the Commission. I am very much looking forward to having the opportunity to explain in detail to the Treasurer and the Public the significant issues facing the Cannabis Control Commission, what I encountered when I tried to fix them, and explaining why I should immediately resume my duties at the Commission as Chair.”
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Goldberg suspended O’Brien on Sept. 15, claiming there have been "several serious allegations" made by a commissioner and CCC staff about the chair's behavior. Goldberg's office said it had hired an outside law firm to investigate claims about O’Brien’s conduct. According to Goldberg, the firm has already handed in a report, but she has declined to share details about the report’s findings.
In an email, Andrew Napolitano, a spokesperson for the treasurer’s office told the Business Journal that “the treasurer is confident that she has taken the appropriate actions to address the matter.”
