Business Partner Of Democrat Rep’s Husband Involved In Scandalous Real-Estate Deal, Pledges To Divest

The business partner of Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s husband was involved in an alleged conflict of interest stemming from a $2 billion, 40-year contract deal to rebuild a Springfield courthouse.

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John Barros, partners with Pressley’s husband Conan Harris at CoJo Real Estate, recently won the lucrative contract to rebuild the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse. The Boston-based CoJo Real Estate is a partner in the Liberty Junction Team, a joint venture development group that formed with a separate real estate company.

Barros became interim director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) while the courthouse bid was still pending in January 2026, according to a lawsuit. Several members of the MCCA also sit on the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), which decided who won the bid.

Due to this potential conflict of interest, the losing bidders filed a lawsuit to vacate the award, alleging that Barros did not disclose his role in the court house bid to the State Ethics Commission when he accepted the interim director role at MCCA. The lawsuit also states that the bid proposal was never updated with his status when he accepted the position.

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Barros pledged to divest from the deal Wednesday.

“Notwithstanding the fact that John did everything right and complied fully with the law, he has determined that the significant public benefits that will come from the Liberty Junction Team’s project — a beautiful, safe new courthouse and an engine for economic development in downtown Springfield — outweigh his personal interests,” said Barros’ lawyer, Gary Ronan. “For that reason, John is divesting himself … he will not have any economic interest in the project.” (RELATED: Democrat Responds To Reporter’s Question About Teen Being Found Shot Dead At Husband’s Property)

“Today’s news that John Barros is stepping away from the Springfield courthouse project confirms what we have said from the start: this selection was irrevocably tainted, and no retroactive exit can undo that after the contract is already awarded,” plaintiffs Jeb Balise and Dinesh Patel said in a statement.

“Springfield and the Commonwealth’s taxpayers deserve a fair process that follows the law. For this reason, the only fair remedy is to set aside this award and redo the procurement. Our lawsuit will continue, and we look forward to making our case in court on August 11.”

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Boston police recently found a dead body at a rental home owned by Harris.