Ever wonder what happened to former state auditor Tom Salmon?

After quietly leaving office in January, the formerly up-and-coming Democrat-turned-Republican evidently took a position with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. But after just one month on the job, the State House News Service reported Wednesday, Salmon left to pursue another gig with the federal government.

That’s leaving some Bay Staters none too pleased.

“Despite making a commitment to stay on, he has taken that position and moved on,” Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn Cunha said Wednesday at a meeting of the Inspector General’s Council, according to SHNS. (Sorry, the story’s not available online.)

Jack Meyers, a spokesman for the inspector general’s office, confirmed to Seven Days Salmon’s brief tenure as director of the special audit unit in the Department of Transportation.

“He started work here earlier this calendar year and then after about a month he said he was going to leave the post,” Meyers said. “My understanding is that he was pursuing another job and also that he had some personal reasons to go back to Vermont.”

Meyers said the IG’s office was surprised Salmon so quickly departed what was supposed to be a six-year appointment.

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Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

8 replies on “Salmon Takes, Then Leaves Job with Massachusetts Department of Transportation”

  1. Tom Salmon is a selfish careerist and a hack. I’m not a bit surprised that he’d leave his new employer in the lurch.

  3. Wishing Tom well. Appreciate his service to VT as an honest and hardworking public servant.

  4. Not sure why this is even news – many employers and employees terminate new employment within a month. Sometimes it’s just not a good fit.

  5. I am not familiar enough with Tom’s career to know if this is a new pattern or if, having spent a year serving in the middle east, he has had difficulty adjusting. PTSD comes in a lot of sizes.

  6. Didn’t Treasurer Jeb Spaulding last less than two weeks on the job in 2010, resigning his office to take the Administration Secretary’s post?

  8. Resigning one position to accept a promotion with the same employer (the State of Vermont) is a very different beast that Salmon’s sudden change of heart after making a long term commitment.

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