On this week’s episode of From the Gazebo Sheela and Erik cover, among other things, tricky ground with local investigative journalist Bill Shein, centering on his recent story titled Rep. Leigh Davis Has Reimbursed Herself $23,627 for Mileage. Almost No Other Lawmakers Do.
We invited Representative Davis to respond to the story in writing, and her response is here:
I found Bill Shein's article misleading. It left out important context about my mileage reimbursements and the professional purpose of my trip to Ireland. I stand by both.
I represent the largest geographical district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, covering 18 towns and approximately 551 square miles. With no district office and one aide based in Boston, I personally attend all my meetings and events, both in my district and across the Commonwealth, often traveling between several towns in a single day. My car is my district office.
The state provides an annual expense allowance for legislators who live more than 50 miles from the State House. That covers travel to and from Boston, so I don’t seek campaign reimbursement for my regular commute.
The $23,627 covers separate travel for legislative and constituent work, including meetings and events both within my district and across the Commonwealth. So it’s not limited to travel within my district.
My reimbursements follow the standard IRS mileage rate, which accounts for fuel, maintenance, insurance and depreciation. I maintain detailed mileage logs, which OCPF has reviewed, and don’t seek reimbursement for my regular commute to the State House. Massachusetts campaign finance rules permit qualifying legislative and constituent-service travel expenses.
Regarding Ireland, I joined 13 fellow legislators at a sponsored American Irish State Legislators Caucus summit in Dublin and Belfast. There, I met Ireland’s Consul General in Boston, who subsequently invited me to Galway and arranged meetings with representatives of the Kylemore Trust, including a site visit to Kylemore Abbey. We discussed opportunities for cultural and educational collaboration between Ireland and Massachusetts, including potential events in Boston. These meetings were qualifying legislative travel, and the relationships established there have continued to grow.
Those discussions helped lead to a St. Brigid’s Day event at Hampshire House in Boston in February 2026, organized by the Irish Cultural Centre and the Consulate General of Ireland. The Executive Director of the Kylemore Trust and CEO of Kylemore Abbey traveled from Ireland to participate, along with a bestselling Irish author. I joined them as a featured panelist, with the Consul General moderating.
St. Brigid’s Day event:
https://irishboston.org/event/icc-presents-st-brigids-day/
Campaign finance reports provide limited space to describe transactions, and I recognize that some of my descriptions could have been clearer.
