At a candidate debate last month, challenger Evan C. MacKay ’19 asked state Representative Marjorie C. Decker to explain what she does at the Boston law firm that has paid her at least $100,001 every year for nearly a decade.

In response, Decker did not directly describe her role at Berman Tabacco, which handles class-action and business litigation, instead defending her decision to work for the firm while serving in the legislature.

“I’m really proud that almost my entire life I’ve had to work two jobs to afford to live in this city, and I’m really proud to work for a law firm that fights against big pharma and corporate interests,” she said.

But Decker’s campaign later confirmed to The Crimson that she remains Berman Tabacco’s director of community affairs and continues to work in client and business development — the first confirmation in nearly a decade that she still holds the role.

Records obtained by The Crimson also show that Decker has represented the firm at meetings with institutional investors and public pension officials across the country, offering a fuller picture of the work she performs outside Beacon Hill.

Decker first disclosed her title in a 2017 letter to the House clerk obtained by The Crimson. She wrote that she assists with “marketing and client development with a focus on Taft-Hartley funds in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Decker wrote in a statement that her weekly time commitment at the firm “varies week to week” but declined to disclose her exact salary. MacKay asked her about the matter at the debate, and she did not answer.

Decker, who is not an attorney, has worked at the firm since 2016, according to Statements of Financial Interests filed with the State Ethics Commission. She has reported earning at least $100,001 from the firm each year, the highest income bracket available on the forms.

Beyond identifying the firm and reporting her income bracket, the filings provide little insight into the day-to-day work Decker takes on. Her outside employment first became a campaign issue when she first faced MacKay for the seat in 2024.

An attendee list reviewed by The Crimson shows that Decker represented the firm, then called Berman DeValerio, at a 2016 conference in Chicago hosted by the Council of Institutional Investors.

The Council of Institutional Investors is a nonprofit association representing public and union pension funds, endowments, and other institutional investors. It advocates on financial regulation, including before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Congressional committees.

Decker also appeared on Berman Tabacco’s behalf at a November 2023 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the City of Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund, according to meeting minutes and a recording of the meeting obtained through a public records request.

Neither appearance has been previously reported.

Minutes from the Jacksonville meeting listed Decker as a guest representing Berman Tabacco. During the meeting, she described her work at the firm as “client and business development,” according to the recording.

Decker declined to comment on either appearance or describe the work she performed for the firm at the events.

Berman Tabacco did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Inquiries to the firm were returned by Juliana O’Neil, Decker’s campaign manager, who declined to discuss Decker’s role when reached by phone.

MacKay wrote in a statement to The Crimson that Decker has not provided voters with sufficient information about her private employment or explained how she guards against possible conflicts with her legislative work.

“Instead of explaining what she does for Berman Tabacco, how many hours she works, or whether the job creates conflicts, she pivoted to attacking my work and my Harvard affiliation,” MacKay wrote.

Decker denied that her work for the firm creates conflicts with her legislative responsibilities and said the details of her employment have long been public.

“My title and my work responsibilities — which include client and business development — along with my compensation as laid out in my disclosure and my SFl, are in full accordance with the spirit and letter of the law and have always been public,” she wrote.

Outside employment is common on Beacon Hill. At least half of Massachusetts lawmakers reported an outside job, business interest, or other side work in 2023.

State representatives received a base salary of roughly $82,000 in 2025. Decker also received roughly $22,400 in additional compensation as chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health and a separate roughly $22,400 allowance for travel and expenses, bringing her total State House compensation and allowances to about $126,900.

Combined with the minimum income she reported from Berman Tabacco, Decker received at least roughly $226,900 in 2025.

Massachusetts conflict-of-interest law requires legislators to file disclosures in certain circumstances when official action would substantially affect their own financial interests or could create an appearance of improper influence involving a private employer.

In March 2021, as the legislature considered legislation providing state tax relief for forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans, Decker disclosed to the State Ethics Commission that her “other employer” had accepted PPP funds.

The letter is the only conflict-of-interest disclosure related to Berman Tabacco that The Crimson identified in Decker’s records.

Decker’s outside employment has become a flashpoint in the final weeks before the Sept. 1 Democratic primary, as the candidates increasingly attack each other’s records and backgrounds.

In response to scrutiny of her work at Berman Tabacco, Decker has repeatedly turned to MacKay’s time at Harvard, arguing that they lack the experience to represent the district in the State House.

MacKay moved to Cambridge as an undergraduate in 2015 and has spent much of the last decade pursuing Harvard degrees. They paused their studies to run for office in 2026.

Decker has repeatedly drawn on her 13-year record as a lawmaker, defending her seat while taking jabs at MacKay’s lack of experience in an elected office.

“My opponent, who has lived in Harvard dorms for over a decade and has primarily been a full-time student, continues to weaponize the fact that I work a second job and continues to ask questions they already have the answers to in an attempt to mislead the people,” Decker wrote.

MacKay has defended their record as a labor organizer and said they, like Decker, must rely on multiple jobs to afford living in Cambridge, where the cost of living has soared in recent years.

“I work multiple jobs to support myself, and my role as a residential tutor provides housing that has made it possible for me to remain in Cambridge while teaching, advising, organizing, and supporting students,” MacKay wrote.

—Metro desk editor Matan H. Josephy contributed reporting.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at shawnb.18. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.

—Staff writer Jack B. Reardon can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @JackBReardon.