26. Laura Ahearn
2004 Power List
Founder and executive director of Parents for Megan’s Law, a national not-for-profit child-advocacy group aimed at prevent- ing and treating child sexual abuse, Ahearn has locked horns with politicians, sex offenders and bishops, specifically Murphy, whom she recently criticized for his handling of priestly sex abuse in Boston. This year, the Stony Brook-based organization is kicking off the first national Megan’s Law helpline.