Giulianos Forum

News => The Mud pile => Topic started by: Giuliano Taverna on June 03, 2009, 08:46:52 am


Title: Yet another MA house speaker is facing jail time
Post by: Giuliano Taverna on June 03, 2009, 08:46:52 am
Sal Dimasi faces fraud rap

source, Boston Herald: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1176446 (http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1176446)

Quote
Ex-Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly taking kickbacks in yet another State House corruption scandal that has cast a pall over Beacon Hill and sent the onetime iron-fisted leader’s former colleagues scrambling for cover.

DiMasi was hit with fraud and conspiracy charges yesterday in a scathing indictment that painted him as the “coach” of a team of conspirators who cut lucrative deals in backrooms and on golf courses from Boston to Florida, lining his own pocket to the tune of $60,000, federal agents alleged.

Prosecutors said DiMasi used his legislative might to steer $20 million in taxpayer-funded software contracts to Cognos in 2007. In exchange, the Canadian firm funneled payments to an unnamed lawyer in DiMasi’s law office, who in turn cut the then-speaker checks ranging from $4,000 to $25,000, authorities alleged.

Quote
DiMasi’s indictment comes just two years after former Speaker Thomas M. Finneran was convicted of obstruction of justice and was put on 18 months’ probation. Finneran’s predecessor, Charles Flaherty, resigned from the Legislature in 1996 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and ethics violations. It also comes months after former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson was charged with taking bribes.

Its official, MA is a den of jackals.
Title: Re: Yet another MA house speaker is facing jail time
Post by: Alia on June 05, 2009, 09:26:30 pm
That's not even that bad.

The far worse is evidenced by the fact that if you see one cockroach, well, you know there's not just one cockroach. In other words, the sad part is, you know most people get away with it.
Title: Re: Yet another MA house speaker is facing jail time
Post by: Giuliano Taverna on June 05, 2009, 10:15:16 pm
I know exactly what you mean, the extent of the corruption in MA truly is unfathomable.