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The Romney administration is investigating six hidden cameras found in Turnpike Authority headquarters that gave ousted Chairman Matthew Amorello the ability to monitor workers from a storage room next to his office, officials said yesterday.
The cameras, concealed behind smoke detectors, were discovered during a review of Turnpike Authority operations following Amorello's resignation.
The deposed Big Dig boss left office Tuesday amid allegations of mismanagement and secrecy following the July 10 tunnel collapse that killed Milena Del Valle.
"We are taking a look at the capacity in which they (the cameras) were used," said Jon Carlisle of Gov. Mitt Romney's Executive Office of Transportation.
"At this point, we don't have any idea what they were used for. They could have a legitimate security purpose."
Carlisle said the cameras were hidden around Turnpike employees' work stations and were not visible to passersby. A Turnpike source said some employees were aware of the cameras and believed they were for security in case of a break-in.
Romney administration officials also said they are investigating last-minute payouts arranged before Amorello left, including $55,000 Amorello took for three months of unused vacation time. Officials are also probing a policy change Amorello inked last month that let two top aides claim hefty checks for unused sick time.
At least six Pike managers were fired yesterday as part of a housecleaning by newly appointed Chairman John Cogliano, among them Chief Financial Officer Domenic Tringale and Media Relations Director Thomas Farmer.
Carlisle said the hidden cameras became a focus yesterday as officials began taking a closer look at Turnpike Authority offices.
The use of cameras to monitor employees was upheld two months ago in a Supreme Judicial Court decision involving Salem State College that stated "a public employee has no expectation of privacy" in the workplace.
Still, officials at the state Highway Department and the MBTA, which both have offices in the same building as the Turnpike, said they do not have similar systems in place. American Civil Liberties Union lawyer John Reinstein said the use of cameras at the Pike is a "troubling invasion whether it's legal or not."
Meanwhile, the Turnpike firings sparked anger among the terminated employees. "This is just another hostile takeover for Mitt Romney," said one terminated staffer, who asked for anonymity. "He cares much more about image and electability than he does for hard-working men and women with spouses and children who he put out on the street with nothing."
Carlisle declined to comment on the reason for the firings. Officials also are scrutinizing payouts for Amorello's former communications director, Mariellen Burns, who received about $25,000, and deputy chief of staff Keith Shirley, who was paid about $19,000.
The Romney administration is investigating six hidden cameras found in Turnpike Authority headquarters that gave ousted Chairman Matthew Amorello the ability to monitor workers from a storage room next to his office, officials said yesterday.
The cameras, concealed behind smoke detectors, were discovered during a review of Turnpike Authority operations following Amorello's resignation.
The deposed Big Dig boss left office Tuesday amid allegations of mismanagement and secrecy following the July 10 tunnel collapse that killed Milena Del Valle.
"We are taking a look at the capacity in which they (the cameras) were used," said Jon Carlisle of Gov. Mitt Romney's Executive Office of Transportation.
"At this point, we don't have any idea what they were used for. They could have a legitimate security purpose."
Carlisle said the cameras were hidden around Turnpike employees' work stations and were not visible to passersby. A Turnpike source said some employees were aware of the cameras and believed they were for security in case of a break-in.
Romney administration officials also said they are investigating last-minute payouts arranged before Amorello left, including $55,000 Amorello took for three months of unused vacation time. Officials are also probing a policy change Amorello inked last month that let two top aides claim hefty checks for unused sick time.
At least six Pike managers were fired yesterday as part of a housecleaning by newly appointed Chairman John Cogliano, among them Chief Financial Officer Domenic Tringale and Media Relations Director Thomas Farmer.
Carlisle said the hidden cameras became a focus yesterday as officials began taking a closer look at Turnpike Authority offices.
The use of cameras to monitor employees was upheld two months ago in a Supreme Judicial Court decision involving Salem State College that stated "a public employee has no expectation of privacy" in the workplace.
Still, officials at the state Highway Department and the MBTA, which both have offices in the same building as the Turnpike, said they do not have similar systems in place. American Civil Liberties Union lawyer John Reinstein said the use of cameras at the Pike is a "troubling invasion whether it's legal or not."
Meanwhile, the Turnpike firings sparked anger among the terminated employees. "This is just another hostile takeover for Mitt Romney," said one terminated staffer, who asked for anonymity. "He cares much more about image and electability than he does for hard-working men and women with spouses and children who he put out on the street with nothing."
Carlisle declined to comment on the reason for the firings. Officials also are scrutinizing payouts for Amorello's former communications director, Mariellen Burns, who received about $25,000, and deputy chief of staff Keith Shirley, who was paid about $19,000.
