DiMasi's apparent deception
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HOUSE SPEAKER Salvatore DiMasi put his political life at risk at the moment of apparent deception.
Last April, DiMasi told the Globe that he didn't know that Richard Vitale, his longtime friend, personal accountant, and former campaign treasurer, represented the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers. Neither he nor anyone on his staff ever discussed the group's interest in pending legislation, DiMasi said in an interview.
Then last month, Attorney General Martha Coakley indicted Vitale for violations of state lobbying and campaign finance laws. In the indictment, Coakley said Vitale communicated directly with DiMasi and his top lieutenant Thomas Petrolati, the speaker pro tempore.
Those two accounts simply do not add up.
Here is what DiMasi told Globe reporters Andrea Estes and Stephen Kurkjian:
"No, I have no idea that he (Vitale) was working for them (the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers) or what his relationship was. None."
"He never discussed it with me or anybody on my staff."
"I am telling you I knew nothing about it. That's what I am telling you. Nothing."
Yet Coakley said Vitale had numerous direct contacts with DiMasi and Petrolati in meetings and via e-mail, as he lobbied on behalf of the ticket broker association, which paid Vitale $60,000.
"Investigators found that Vitale arranged for and attended meetings with those representatives and a member of (the ticket brokers' group) and that Vitale also allegedly met privately with the representatives to discuss proposed legislation," said Coakley, in a statement issued by her office.
This week, DiMasi is expected to win reelection as speaker. While that may resolve his short-term political fate, it does not determine his long-term viability, which goes back to those answers he gave to the Globe.
What if, in that interview, DiMasi instead said that Vitale should have registered as a lobbyist and should not have raised the pending legislation with his powerful friend, the speaker of the House? In short, what if he spoke the full truth? There could be legal consequences, but there would also be respect for honesty.
From a legal perspective, DiMasi apparently didn't want to acknowledge the truth because of the $250,000 mortgage he got from Vitale, at the same time Vitale represented the ticket brokers. A lobbyist cannot give anything of value to a public official. To complicate matters, Vitale never registered as a lobbyist and still disputes that he acted as one.
Then, there's the $600,000 Vitale collected from a software company -
Admit nothing. It's classic defense strategy. But, in the long run, what is the point of denying the truth if there is evidence to disprove the denial?
DiMasi must know there are no secrets, especially on Beacon Hill.
There are always witnesses and whisperers, e-mail exchanges and enemies eager to exploit them. Sensing vulnerability, the friends you think you have swiftly turn into rivals.
DiMasi, it seems, needed the kind of friend who would say, "Mr. Speaker, let's talk about what really happened here. Let's talk about the truth. Maybe if you take your legal lumps now, you can preserve your political future later."
Here's what really happened, according to Coakley's indictment of Vitale:
The Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers hired Vitale because of his closeness to DiMasi. Vitale communicated directly with DiMasi and Petrolati "on multiple occasions in an attempt to promote ticket resale legislation." Vitale met privately with them, and forwarded e-mails from his client to DiMasi's personal e-mail address. One e-mail requested specific changes to the bill, which the House of Representatives made.The House subsequently passed ticket resale legislation; the bill did not pass the Senate.
If there is evidence of meetings and e-mail, how can DiMasi's denials possibly hold up? He may win this week's reelection battle, but he will lose the bigger war if he decided to deceive.
Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com.
