Rachael Rollins, U.S. attorney when federal probe began, praises Turtleboy’s reporting after Karen Read verdict

An unexpected ally has endorsed Turtleboy blogger Aidan Kearney, the divisive local media personality who gained national attention for his coverage of Karen Read’s murder case.

Does anyone know or care about the [Karen Read] trial without [Turtle]boy? Shortly after Read was cleared of murder and manslaughter charges last week, former U.S. Attorney and Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins posted on social media.

Once a frequent focus of Kearney’s reportage, Rollins added, “His unrelenting reporting in the face of being repeatedly told by law enforcement that he was wrong & there was nothing to see here cracked this case wide open.”

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When federal prosecutors initially started looking into how the state handled Read’s case, Rollins was in charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, which added to the mystery. On January 29, 2022, Read, 45, was charged with driving her SUV while intoxicated and colliding with Boston Police Officer John O. Keefe while dropping him off at a house party in Canton. Her attorneys contended that she was set up in a law enforcement plot to shield the homeowner’s friends and family, who was also a Boston officer.

Although there were no indictments or arrests, the covert federal investigation came to an official end earlier this year after multiple explosive revelations.

In May 2023, Read’s prosecutor, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, made an unsuccessful attempt to have the federal inquiry moved to a different office. In part, he asserted that during her tenure as Suffolk District Attorney, Rollins has publicly displayed her personal hostility toward me, including numerous crass, outrageous personal and professional assaults.

Morrissey continued, “It seemed like a very unusual and potentially abusive exercise of power that the U.S. Attorney’s Office decided to move forward with its investigation while the state-level case was still pending.”

He also cited federal watchdog findings that revealed Rollins had misused her position as top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Amidst the repercussions from the ethics investigation, Rollins resigned in the spring of 2023 and went on to secure a new position at Roxbury Community College.

Does anyone know or care about the KR trial without a boy? This case was blown wide open by his unrelenting reporting despite being repeatedly assured by law enforcement that he was mistaken and that there was nothing to see. All of the reporting shouldn’t obscure that.

She wrote on X last week that the coverage of Read’s case should not overshadow Kearney’s efforts to unravel it.

Kearney was the de facto spokesperson for the Free Karen Read movement, and her extensive coverage contributed to the media frenzy surrounding Read’s case. Kearney, who is no stranger to controversy and conflict, is also being charged with many counts of witness intimidation related to his coverage of the case.

Kearney admitted in his own succinct response to Rollins that he hasn’t always agreed with the former prosecutor.

He continued, “At least she has the dignity to put aside our differences and say this.” I have criticized her a lot over the years, to the point that she blocked me and I am unable to retweet this.

Additionally, Kearney made a joke about not having [Rollins’ praise] on my bingo card.

Abby Patkin covers a wide range of topics as a general assignment news reporter, including crime, public transportation, health, and everything in between. She has been reporting on the murder case of Karen Read.