Critics Slam Massachusetts Gov. Healey Over France Vacation

Something as simple as a vacation can be complicated and controversial when you are an elected public official. It comes with the territory.

A History of Vacation Criticism for Public Officials

Whenever President Donald Trump hits the links, his critics roar. The bellyaching was extended to Joe Biden when he escaped to the beach, Barack Obama to Hawaii, George Bush to the ranch, etc.

I suppose it's common nature for the folks to yelp when their elected leaders seek a break from the action.

Maura Healey's Trip to France

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's recent foray to the south of France with partner Joanna Lydgate and Lydgate's children was no exception.

State House News Service quoted Healey as saying, "My partner had spent time there as a young child on and off for many years, so it was a special family trip to take her dad and siblings back to see that part."

"I missed the first week when they were in Paris, but I joined them for the tail end and returned on Saturday," Healey said.

Why Critics Are Slamming Healey’s France Vacation

You may recall Healey affixed her name to the state budget for FY 2026 in near-record time, then skedaddled to parts unknown. Healey has a habit of not disclosing her travel plans until she returns, prompting the Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve to call Healey's "transparency and accountability" into question."

The Boston Herald reported fellow Republican candidate Mike Kennealy said through a spokesman that Healey was vacationing "while Massachusetts families struggle to make ends meet due to skyrocketing energy costs and declining affordability."

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MassLive.com reported Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance blasted Healey's trip.

"This wasn't a weekend in Rhode Island, this was a week in [France] while our court system was falling apart and violent offenders were being released," he said. "The people of Massachusetts deserved to know where their governor was during a crisis, and she deliberately chose to keep them in the dark."

"It's a stunning failure of leadership," Craney said.