Conan Harris, the husband of Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, remains tied to a real estate venture connected to a disputed $2 billion courthouse development deal in Massachusetts, even after a prominent partner moved to cut financial ties with the company amid ethics questions.
Harris had partnered with John Barros through CoJo Real Estate, a firm involved in the successful bid for a 40-year lease to develop a new courthouse in Springfield, Mass.
Barros, who is currently serving as interim executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, said Wednesday that he would divest from the company as scrutiny over potential ethical conflicts intensified.
Harris, however, has not taken the same step so far, even as the project faces legal challenges from two unsuccessful bidders who have alleged conflict-of-interest concerns, with much of the criticism focused on Barros’ role.
In a statement, Barros’ attorney said his client had followed the law and acted appropriately, but ultimately concluded that the public benefits of the Liberty Junction Team’s courthouse proposal outweighed his own personal stake in the matter.
CoJo Real Estate is one of the entities within the Liberty Junction group, which secured the courthouse contract. Harris is listed as a principal member of that development team.
The controversy centers in part on Barros’ position at the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, since critics note that members of its board also sit on the public body that selected Liberty Junction for the Springfield courthouse project.
The deal has also drawn questions from some observers about whether Pressley’s high-profile role in Congress could have helped create an advantage for her husband’s team in pursuing the government-backed real estate contract.
Harris’ business income was listed as $100,001-$1,000,000 in Pressley’s 2025 House financial disclosures, and the couple netted up to $250,000 in rent. The disclosures only provide ranges, not exact figures.
A hearing on the matter will take place on Aug. 11.
“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,” the losing bidders Jeb Balise and Dinesh Patel said in response.
“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.”
Pressley (D-Mass.) didn’t face accusations of wrongdoing in the legal suit and doesn’t appear to have been involved in the contract or the selection process.
The Post contacted Pressley’s office for comment.
The “Squad” rep’s husband previously raised eyebrows after homicide detectives found a dead body in a rental property he owned in Boston earlier this month.
