BOSTON — Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg just got smacked down in court today — and Republicans say it’s time for her to go.

A Suffolk Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that Goldberg, the Democrat who oversees the state’s money and the lottery, illegally fired Shannon O’Brien, the former state treasurer and Democratic nominee for governor who was serving as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission.

The ruling doesn’t just put O’Brien back in the chair with back pay and benefits — it handed the MassGOP a perfect opening to blast Goldberg as another Beacon Hill Democrat wasting public cash.

“After two years and $2 million wasted, Treasurer Goldberg should resign,” MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said in a blistering statement. “The courts agreed with what O’Brien has long alleged: Goldberg’s evidence that she committed ‘gross misconduct’ in office was ‘manifestly lacking.’”

Mark Steffen, the party’s political director, tells Mass Daily News that Republicans are already in talks with potential candidates and expect to announce a challenger for treasurer by the end of the year — signaling the GOP is gearing up for a fight.

Goldberg and O’Brien go back decades. O’Brien held the treasurer’s post from 1999 to 2003 before losing to Mitt Romney in the governor’s race. Goldberg later won the same office in 2014, and their rivalry boiled over when Goldberg suspended O’Brien in 2023 and tried to fire her outright in 2024.

Goldberg accused O’Brien of “gross misconduct,” citing erratic behavior and clashes with staff. But after nearly 19 hours of private meetings, Judge Robert Gordon said the case was “manifestly lacking.” Translation: Goldberg spent $2 million of taxpayer money on a flimsy case — and it all went up in political flames.

For taxpayers, it’s another Beacon Hill boondoggle. For Democrats, it’s a family feud dragged into the headlines. And for Republicans, it’s campaign gold: proof, they argue, that Democrats protect their friends, punish their rivals, and leave voters with the bill.

Goldberg’s term runs until 2026, but Republicans smell blood. With O’Brien reinstated and millions gone, the MassGOP is ready to remind voters who lit taxpayer dollars on fire.