# DiMasi Reportedly Indicted



## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and three associates have been indicted for a scheme in which DiMasi allegedly used his influence to steer state computer software contracts to a Canadian company, according to court records.









Salvatore F. DiMasi

DiMasi was charged with conspiracy, honest services mail fraud, aiding and abetting, and honest services wire fraud, in the awarding of contracts to Cognos ULC, according to an indictment filed in US District Court in Boston. DiMasi arrived at the federal court at 2:15 this afternoon, accompanied by his wife, Deborah; his lawyer, Thomas Kiley; and the former spokesman from his State House office, David Guarino. DiMasi declined comment, as did Kiley.

The indictments follow a series of Globe stories detailing the awarding of multi-million-dollar software contracts in which DiMasi's associates made hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions and fees.
 Also indicted were Richard McDonough, a lobbyist for Cognos and close friend of DiMasi; Joseph Lally, the Cognos sales agent; and Richard Vitale, a former DiMasi campaign treasurer who was also paid by Cognos. Vitale also arrived at the courthouse this afternoon. McDonough's lawyer, Thomas Drechsler, said all four were expected in US District Court this afternoon.
"I'm disappointed, " said Drechsler, who was told that the four had all been indicted. McDonough, he said, "denies any allegations of wrongdoing."
The indictment alleges that from December 2004 through about February 2008, DiMasi, Lally, McDonough, and Vitale conspired to devise a scheme under which DiMasi used his influential position to help Cognos obtain multi-million-dollar software contracts from the state.

From March 2005 through early 2007, DiMasi improperly received $5,000 a month from Cognos, through an intermediary, as a "referral fee'' for using his influence to steer the contracts to the company, prosecutors allege.
The indictment alleges DiMasi and the others arranged to have Cognos pay the money to to DiMasi's law associate, who is identified only as a "private attorney" in the indictment but who has previously been idenfitied by the Globe as Steven Topazio. Topazio and DiMasi shared office space and Topazio paid DiMasi referral fees, the Globe has reported.
The indictment says that Lally, identified at the time as a Cognos vice president, arranged the payments to Topazio as local counsel for Cognos, even though Topazio protested that he lacked experience in such corporate legal work.
When Topazio reported to DiMasi in December 2004 on the terms of the $5,000 monthly payments from Cognos, DiMasi replied, "It's about time we got business like this," according to the indictment.
Acting US Attorney Michael Loucks has scheduled a 3:30 p.m. press conference to announce the indictments.
Boston.com


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

What party is he affiliated with again?.....not a single mention in this article.. if he was Republican it would have been beaten to death.


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## Johnny Law (Aug 8, 2008)

Huh, I would have thought the fact that he shit canned details because he owned a flagging company would have been news.


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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

Good now if we can loose a few more of these D bags.


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## Rock (Mar 20, 2005)

I always hated his porn mustache.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

?


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

Higgy Baby....


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2009)

That makes, what.....three speakers in a row indicted?

Keep blindly voting for the big "D", you morons.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

Delta784 said:


> That makes, what.....three speakers in a row indicted?
> 
> Keep blindly voting for the big "D", you morons.


 "Its Bushes fault"


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*DiMasi's $5,000 A Month Pension Suspended*

*Former House Speaker Awaiting Trial On Corruption Charges*

BOSTON (WBZ) ―The pension of Former Speaker of the Massachusetts House, Sal DiMasi, has been suspended while he awaits trial on federal corruption charges.

The State Retirement Board sent a letter to DiMasi on Tuesday, informing him of the suspension, the State House News Service reported.

DiMasi and three associates are accused of steering $20 million in state contracts to a Canadian software company, and profiting from the deal. All four men pleaded not guilty at arraignment on Monday.

The former speaker had been collecting nearly $5,000 a month. State law allows the Retirement Board to suspend pensions if the recipient is accused of misappropriating public funds.

"Thank God we're in America, where there is a presumption of innocence and due process before the government takes things from us," DiMasi's attorney Thomas Kiley said in a clearly sarcastic written statement. "We look forward to the prompt hearing the Board of Retirement promised. Speaker DiMasi has not been charged with misappropriating state funds and there is clearly no basis for saying he did."

A future hearing will determine whether DiMasi's pension will be revoked, remain suspended, or be reinstated. 


Sal DiMasi's Pension Suspended While He Awaits Trial On Corruption Charges - wbztv.com


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## BrickCop (Dec 23, 2004)

He's got one thing still going for him...his wife is hot.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2009)

BrickCop said:


> He's got one thing still going for him...his wife is hot.


Let's see how long she sticks around, now that the power and money are gone.


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## BB-59 (Oct 19, 2005)

Amazing! The fact that he bucked "the Cadilac Man" and his casino sceme I am sure had no bearing on the investigation that started soon after,

It is also amazing that when the Gov attempted to get a former company that he worked for a no bid contract it was just written off as poor judgement.

I guesse Orwell was right, that some animals are more equal than others.


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