Hundreds Rallied at State House as Global Partners Demands Transparency in MassDOT Highway Lease Deal

Petition delivered, CEO slams ethics concerns and new RFP revelations

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A wave of public outcry reached the steps of the Massachusetts State House today as more than 400 people, including advocates, community leaders, small business owners, and employees of Global Partners, a Waltham-based leading independent liquid energy supplier and retail operator, called for a full investigation into MassDOT’s recent and controversial highway service plaza procurement. Last month, the MassDOT Board awarded a 35-year lease to redevelop and run 18 service plazas, 11 of which are on the Massachusetts Turnpike, to Applegreen, a foreign company majority owned by private equity giant Blackstone.

“Our bid includes $900 million more in guaranteed rent, $650 million in secured capital improvements, and a proven record of community investment,” said Global Partners President and CEO Eric Slifka. “Yet no side-by-side bid comparison was ever shown to the public, or even to the MassDOT Board. Why not? This is bigger than one contract. It’s about the integrity of public procurement in Massachusetts. Taxpayers deserve the truth.”

Leaders from local chambers of commerce and nonprofit organizations joined Slifka with remarks that underscored growing concerns over how the contract was awarded and what has come to light since. Moments before the rally, a petition signed by more than 2,000 people was delivered to state leaders and Governor Healey, demanding an independent review. Recently revealed details from Applegreen’s proposal raise serious concerns that were never publicly disclosed or presented to the Board:

• Unfunded revitalization plan, reliant on uncertain future public financing
• Assumes no property tax payments due, potentially costing towns and cities $48 million or more over the term of the lease
• Weak supplier diversity, with just 2% committed vs. Global’s 5-15%
• Lower guaranteed rent, offering $623 million vs. Global’s $1.5 billion

“Let’s be clear,” Slifka continued. “This is about the state walking away from $1.5 billion in guaranteed revenue, from real commitments to our communities, and from transparency. When critical information is hidden from the public and the Board, something is very wrong.”

The rally follows Global Partners’ filing of a formal ethics complaint last week against MBTA official Scott Bosworth, who chaired the selection committee for the highway lease, despite serving at a separate agency focused on rail and ferry transit. The complaint raises concerns about undisclosed employment conversations with Blackstone and alleges that the RFP process was manipulated to favor Applegreen. It further alleges that incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading information was presented to the MassDOT Board ahead of its June vote. Just this morning, reports surfaced that MassDOT is considering removing Bosworth as the manager of this project.

Rally attendees urged lawmakers to act swiftly by convening an oversight hearing and demanding answers from all parties involved. Global is calling on the State Ethics Commission, the Governor’s Office, and the Legislature’s Oversight Committee to investigate:

• Improper communications between MassDOT/MBTA officials and Applegreen or Blackstone
• Failure to disclose potential conflicts of interest
• Manipulation or misrepresentation of RFP criteria and evaluation
• Suppression of independent oversight and removal of dissenting voices
• Incomplete or misleading details presented to MassDOT Board