Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern Reverses Course to Call on Toner to Resign

Cambridge Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern reversed course last night, calling on fellow Councilor Paul F. Toner to resign in a statement.

McGovern denounced Toner without calling for his resignation in a statement made hours after the March 21 hearing. But on Wednesday night, he issued a new statement officially calling on Toner to resign after hearing residents’ concerns.

“At the beginning of each term, Councillors take an oath to uphold the laws of Massachusetts and the United States, and Councillor Toner’s involvement in this illegal activity is a violation of that oath,” McGovern wrote.

“Although the Council has no authority to remove a fellow Councillor, I believe Councillor Toner should resign,” he added.

Andrew M. Paven, a representative for Toner, declined to comment on McGovern’s latest statement.

Toner was charged in March with sexual conduct for a fee after a police report revealed he contacted a high-end interstate brothel network with a location in Cambridge over a dozen times.

McGovern’s statement further increases the pressure on Toner to leave his position on the City Council. Toner, who has been widely criticized by residents during City Council meetings, is facing multiple resignation calls from local and state officials.

Toner was also quietly removed from his committee chairships last Wednesday.

Three out of the eight members of Cambridge’s City Council — McGovern, Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui, and Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler — have issued statements directly calling on Toner to resign. Massachusetts State Representative Mike L. Connolly is also calling on Toner to step down.

Four other members of the council issued statements criticizing Toner’s actions, but did not call on him to resign. Only Councilor Catherine “Cathy” Zusy came to Toner’s aid, arguing that he should remain on the Council.

Massachusetts State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker condemned Toner’s alleged involvement but stopped short of calling for his resignation. The rest of the Cambridge delegation have not released public statements.

McGovern wrote that if Toner remains in his position, public trust in the City Council will inevitably erode.

“This is not about job performance — it’s about an elected official violating the public’s trust in their civic leadership, and the seriousness of the allegations involved,” McGovern wrote.

In an interview with The Crimson shortly after he published his statement, McGovern acknowledged his long and productive relationship with Toner, but stressed that he was motivated by his public responsibility.

“At the end of the day, my ultimate responsibility is to the integrity of the institution and to the trust that people have in the city,” McGovern said. “And so that’s why I issued the statement.”

When asked about the members of council who have not called for Toner to resign, McGovern said, “they have to decide for themselves what they’re comfortable with and where they stand.”

“As much as we are a council, we are also individuals,” he added. “I had to do what I felt was right, and what I felt I had to do.”

— Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.

— Staff writer Jack B. Reardon can be reached at jack.reardon@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @JackBReardon.