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Healey Says Hefner Criminal Probe 'Ongoing'

While some senators are urging patience with regard to a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into Sen. Stanley Rosenberg and the activities of his husband Bryon Hefner, there's another ongoing criminal investigation that Attorney General Maura Healey declined Tuesday to put a timeline on.

"I'm not going to make any statements with respect to timeline. Know that we're moving as quickly and as expeditiously as we can on this. We have heard from some victims, I can confirm that, and we're going to continue to take in information and gather information as appropriate," Healey told reporters.

Healey and Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley opened their investigation following an initial report in the Boston Globe of anonymous allegations made by four men who do business with the Legislature that Hefner had sexually harassed and assaulted them.

Healey said her end of the investigation is ongoing. "I'm respectful of that and of that process, but certainly I found the allegations to be concerning and troubling," Healey said.

Asked what Rosenberg's future should be after the latest round of claims in the newspaper that Rosenberg directed his staff to give Hefner access to his official email, Healey said, "I think that if the allegations turn out to be true, he needs to step down as Senate president, but let's see what we learn through this process."

Rosenberg did step down in December from the presidency to allow for the Ethics Committee investigation to unfold, but made clear that he was confident his name would be cleared and that he hoped to return to the presidency.

Earlier in the day, one of Healey's Republican rivals to reelection Dan Shores said Healey owed the public an update on her investigation.

"This information has come to light, not from the work of our Attorney General’s office, but as a result of hard-hitting investigative journalism. While I applaud Boston's media outlets for working to find the truth of this matter, I simultaneously question the zealousness of the Attorney General who has represented that her office is conducting an investigation also. I think the public has the right to be provided an update on that investigation," Shores said.

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