BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office is defending a $2 billion state contract awarded to a firm co-owned by U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s husband and the head of the convention center, calling legal challengers sore losers.

“Plaintiffs’ Complaint is nothing more than a fever dream of imagined malfeasance in aid of Plaintiffs’ attempt to elevate their own financial interests over the public’s interest in a newly constructed judicial center that will serve the public for decades and would save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” the AG’s Office wrote in a scathing legal brief filed Wednesday in Hamden Superior Court.

That’s to allow a deal to construct a new courthouse in Springfield to move forward despite a legal challenge by two of the 10 losing bidders.

The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance announced July 2 that it had awarded a $600 million contract to construct the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, as well as a nearly $2 billion, 40-year lease on the building to Liberty Junction.

That is a development partnership that includes CoJo Partners, a firm owned by Rep. Pressley’s husband Conan Harris and John Barros, the interim executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. The partnership also includes Suffolk Construction and Virginia-based real estate developer FD Stonewater.

New England used car magnate Jeb Balise and real estate conglomerate Dinesh Patel, who had each bid on the project under their respective business entities USPB JV, LLC and Tower Square, LLC, filed suit a week later. Their complaint claims the award is “rife with conflicts of interest,” and “undermines the integrity of the public procurement process by awarding the contract to a company whose principals … have deep conflicts.” It’s a view some outside observers share.

But Campbell’s office says that the “Plaintiffs have not met, and cannot meet, their burden to show a likelihood of success on the merits or irreparable harm” and that “the public will suffer harm” if the project is stalled by lengthy litigation.

Barros divested his interest in Liberty Junction and CoJo Partners last week in response to the backlash. He said in a statement to the Herald that he made the “difficult decision … because my involvement has been targeted by those who place personal gain above the community.”

Two plaintiffs say that Barros did not disclose his financial interest in CoJo Partners and Liberty Junction, which by law should have been on his annual financial statement to the state Ethics Commission, until the contract was awarded.

Barros denied these allegations last week.

Campbell is facing public criticism for the swift defense of DCAMM and Liberty Junction. The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance called it “an attempt to defend her political allies” and pointed to campaign financial reports indicating several political donations from Suffolk Construction to Campbell, as well as Campbell’s connection to Pressley from their shared Boston City Council days.

“What we need is a fair and objective look at what happened so that another bad deal doesn’t come at the expense of Massachusetts taxpayers,” said MassFiscal Executive Director Paul Craney. “The AG is using her office, and taxpayer resources, to try to persuade the judge in the case. This will only taint the process even more considering the AG’s obvious conflicts in the matter.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve is also slamming Campbell.

“Andrea Campbell is once again playing defense for her Democrat buddies instead of standing up for the people of Massachusetts. This award is rife with conflicts of interest, and John Barros scrambling to divest only after he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar does nothing to resolve the serious questions surrounding the procurement,” Shortsleeve said.

DCAMM says it awarded the contract based on the recommendation of the Massachusetts Trial Court in an effort to finish the project “as quickly as possible.”

Gov. Maura Healey also defends the contract, saying it is the “best deal for taxpayers.”

As Conan Harris remains with CoJo Partners and on the contract, Ayanna Pressley’s net worth has grown from an estimated $12,500 during her time as Boston City Councilor in 2018 to a whopping $8 million in 2024, according to Open Secrets. She receives a congressional salary of $174,000.

Pressley’s financial disclosure report has listed several properties she owns on Martha’s Vineyard and in the Boston area, all with values over $1 million, that she and Harris collect rental income from.

The Herald has requested comment from AG Campbell, Pressley and Harris.

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