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Posted by: CJIS

DiMasi blasted by GOP
Worcester Telegram, MA - 6 hours ago
By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF BOSTON— House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, D-Boston, is drawing criticism over questionable House voting ...
Ethics complaints dog House speaker SouthCoastToday.com

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Posted by: kwflatbed

GOP Fuels Ethics Swirl Around Speaker DiMasi





BOSTON (AP) ― The chairman of the state Republican Party on Thursday urged Attorney General Martha Coakley to investigate recent allegations involving House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, but hours later a group of DiMasi backers said the allegations are based on conjecture and Beacon Hill policy is being made based on facts, not friendships.

GOP Chairman Peter Torkildsen, standing in front of the Statehouse, pointed to recent reports that state Rep. Charles Murphy, D-Burlington, was in the Virgin Islands when he was recorded as taking seven votes in April. He said such so-called phantom voting amounted to a civil rights violation that should be investigated by the state's chief law enforcement officer.

"When a representative casts a vote for another representative, it clearly violates the civil rights of the people in that district, as it deprives them of honest representation," said the chairman, himself a former congressman.

Torkildsen also asked Coakley to investigate the relationship between DiMasi and Richard Vitale, who was hired by ticket brokers pushing a bill to lift restrictions on their business.

Vitale, who gave DiMasi a $250,000 loan on his North End condominium, hasn't registered as a lobbyist, but has described himself as a strategist. The speaker has said he never spoke to Vitale about the bill.

Coakley declined comment, pointing out there are many state agencies that investigate allegations of misconduct. The GOP already has filed three complaints with the State Ethics Commission related to DiMasi.

DiMasi, meanwhile, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

A measure of the distraction being created by the recent focus on DiMasi's ethics was evident in the rare news conference called by members of his leadership team.

While their colleagues debated the $27 billion state budget, six committee chairmen and the chamber's assistant majority leader held a news conference to say the recent allegations are based on conjecture and not fact.

All were appointed to their positions, which carry extra pay, by DiMasi.

One committee chair, Rep. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, said the ticket resale bill was drafted and passed based on its merits.

Another chairman, Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, told reporters: "I have never, in my since-1991 being chairman, I have never had a speaker say to me, `You have to put this into the bill,' or, `You have to take this out of the bill.' What speakers like to do is schedule debate on the floor."


http://wbztv.com/politics/speaker.sa....2.714968.html

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Posted by: screamineagle

wow. crooked politicians. there's a suprise.

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Posted by: j809

This shit bird is one of the guys that jumped on the detail attack bandwagon. I wonder what affiliations he has to flagmen companies. Just like JAJUGA, detail company owner.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

GOP files new ethics case against DiMasi


May 6, 2008

The Massachusetts Republican Party yesterday filed another complaint with the state Ethics Commission against House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, the fourth complaint filed by the Republicans in the past two months. The most recent complaint asks the panel to investigate whether DiMasi helped a close friend, contractor Jay Cashman, who earned a $14.2 million profit on the sale of land targeted for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River after DiMasi killed legislation that would have blocked the project. Last week, the state GOP asked Attorney General Martha Coakley to launch a separate investigation into DiMasi's alleged ethical violations. DiMasi has repeatedly said his actions were driven by policy considerations alone.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/art...gainst_dimasi/

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Posted by: kwflatbed

DiMasi calls ethics charges 'baseless,' says he won't leave




BOSTON -- House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi is firing back at critics who have accused him of ethics violations.
In a letter sent Monday to House lawmakers, DiMasi called the recent string of allegations "baseless." DiMasi said he was outraged that his reputation, integrity and good name had been called into question by news articles and ethics complaints filed by Republicans.
He says he's eager to continue his work.
DiMasi has been increasingly under scrutiny.
Last week he paid off a $250,000 loan from a close friend, who just registered as a lobbyist. DiMasi got the third mortgage from Richard Vitale, who has been DiMasi's accountant and campaign treasurer.
State Republicans have questioned DiMasi's relationship with Vitale, who recently worked on a bill on behalf of the state's ticket brokers.


http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO78295/

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Posted by: kwflatbed

DiMasi Responds To Wife's Business Relationship

Speaker Files Financial Disclosure


BOSTON -- House Speaker Sal DiMasi filed his financial disclosure form late Tuesday, but recent questions over his relationship with one of the state's most successful real estate developers were not answered.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that DiMasi said his wife's business relationship with Christy Cashman is none of the public's business. Cashman is the president of SaintAire Productions, where DiMasi's wife, Debbie DiMasi, is a producer.

Cashman is the wife of Boston developer Jay Cashman, whose business dealings at the Statehouse have made headlines because of legislation the speaker has pushed and benefited Cashman financially.
"I think my wife is entitled to pursue her own career, and I believe, just like any other elected official's wife, is entitled to that, and the questions come as to her privacy and her private business relationships," DiMasi said.

By law, Debbie DiMasi's income can be provided but is not mandated as part of her husband's ethics disclosure form.

However, the law states that politicians cannot take any official action that financially benefits his immediate family. DiMasi won't say how much his wife is paid by Christy Cashman, who is also an actress. He also insisted his decisions affecting Jay Cashman's business interests in wind farms and LNG terminals are separate issues.

"I think it's been exaggerated. This is all about public policy," DiMasi said.

"Why not answer all those questions by saying how much she's making in this production company?" Wu said.

"It's a public policy we've discussed. And all of the decisions that have been made without those single persons or individuals in mind," DiMasi said.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news...51/detail.html

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Posted by: SinePari

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwflatbed However, the law states that politicians cannot take any official action that financially benefits his immediate family.

Isn't that the point of running for office in MA?

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Posted by: OCKS

just another mass pol. doing what comes naturally, f@#$%ng anyone they can.

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