New indictment filed against former Massachusetts speaker of the house
From Sunshine Review
October 14th, 2009. A new indictment was filed on October 13th against former Massachusetts Speaker of the House, Salvatore DiMasi. DiMasi served as the Speaker of the House until his resignation in January of 2009 [1] The indictment charges DiMasi with extortion. The indictment is the second to be filed against DiMasi in a period of four months. [2].
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[edit] New indictment
The new indictment claims that DiMasi extorted his friends who owned a property management company, Genesis Management LLC. According to the indictment, the owners of Genesis founded the company in 2006 with the expectation that DiMasi would help their company secure government contracts. As a long-serving and well-connected state politican, DiMasi could use his political influence in order to help push through legislation that would secure government contracts. In exchange for helping the company, DiMasi was to receive a share of the company's profits[3].
The indictment cites e-mails as evidence that DiMasi was involved in extortion. In e-mails concerning Genesis start-up in 2006, the company owners described how profits would be divided and how the owners, as well as DiMasi, would benefit from the company[4].
The indictment, moreover, alleges that DiMasi ordered an unnamed official to help secure government contracts for Genesis[5].
As a specific example of DiMasi helping Genesis secure contracts, the indictment discusses the details of a contract that put Genesis in charge of managing the Transportation Building, which is a government-owned building in Boston, MA. Shortly after Genesis was founded in 2006, it won the contract over another property management company that had been managing the Transportation Building since 1992. Genesis received millions of dollars from this contract[6].
[edit] Ongoing case
The indictment strengthens an ongoing case against DiMasi. In June, DiMasi was charged for extortion. According to this charge, DiMasi helped a software company, Cognos, secure state contracts in exchange for payments from the company. DiMasi was said to have once pocketed $57,000 from Cognos[7].
DiMasi has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him in June[8].
DiMasi's lawyer insists that DiMasi is free from any wrongdoing, both in the indictment filed in June and in the latest indictment. He accuses the prosecution of misrepresenting the facts of the case [9].
[edit] External Links
[edit] References
- ↑ The Daily News Tribute, House Speaker DiMasi announces resignation
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
- ↑ Boston Globe, Case against DiMasi grows
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