Former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray has been fined $80,000 for violating campaign finance laws.

According to the Massachusetts attorney general, Murray accepted $50,000 in illegal campaign contributions raised by two state employees, one of which was former Chelsea Housing Director Michael McClaughlin.

Murray had been preparing to run for governor, but then announced in January he was dropping out of the race.  Then he resigned abruptly as lieutenant governor in May, as this investigation was ongoing. He now heads the Worcester Chamber of Commerce.

State investigators say Michael McClaughlin collected tens of thousands of dollars for Murray’s campaign committee even though McClaughlin was a public employee and barred from most political activity. McClaughlin, who’s in prison on unrelated charges, has now been indicted on 12 fresh counts.

Murray has agreed to pay back all of the $50,000 plus a $30,000 fine – including $10,000 of his own money.

In a statement, Murray says he didn’t know McClaughlin was doing anything illegal, but he should have been more vigilant in monitoring the situation.