Finneran faces loss of biotech lobby job

Thomas M. Finneran, the former speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who pleaded guilty yesterday to obstruction of justice, will likely lose his $416,000 a year job as president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council after its board of directors meets Monday to decide his future, according to a person familiar with the board's discussions.

Finneran is hoping to keep his post as the state's top biotechnology lobbyist despite pleading guilty to a felony, said another source who is close to him. Allies and legislators have been calling board members to express their support for Finneran.

But the guilty plea makes Finneran too much of a liability to keep as spokesman for an industry dealing with important regulatory and public-relations issues, said the source familiar with the board's discussions. The 20-member panel, which includes executives from biotechnology and drug companies with offices in Massachusetts, is ultimately expected to ask Finneran to resign.

Finneran is in discussions with the radio station WRKO to host a talk show, a job he was hoping to take while keeping his biotech post, said a person close to the former speaker.

Through a spokesman, Finneran declined to comment.

His departure would mark the close of a surprising second act for the former speaker, who was widely considered the state's most powerful politician before stepping down while under federal investigation in 2004.

The obstruction of justice plea stemmed from testimony he gave in 2003 in a civil lawsuit that alleged the House's 2001 redistricting plan was unfair to minorities. He was sentenced yesterday to 18 months unsupervised probation and a $25,000 fine. He also agreed not to run for state, federal, or municipal office for five years. In return, federal prosecutors dropped three counts of perjury.

Although he had no background in biotechnology when he was hired, Finneran immediately put his stamp on the council, which represents more than 500 companies in a high-profile industry. As the public face of biotechnology in Massachusetts, he spoke at national industry events at which rival states and regions compete to woo growing biotech companies. In Massachusetts, he pushed a number of the council's causes in the state Legislature, including a quicker building-permit process and new money for biological research.

In Washington, he hosted an annual dinner at a Capitol Hill steakhouse, where biotech and drug company representatives mingled with the state's congressional delegation.

"He has pretty much put the council on the map," said Representative Martin T. Meehan, Democrat of Lowell, who attended the dinners.

Finneran "has very articulately argued the case that Massachusetts and biotech go hand-in-glove, and it's important that we embrace this industry. He's done that more effectively than anyone has for that organization," said Meehan. He declined to comment on whether Finneran should be fired or resign, or whether he had discussed Finneran's status with board members.

In 2005, when a grand jury indicted Finneran for perjury and obstruction of justice, the council's board stood behind him, led by Una Ryan, then chairwoman of the council, who led the effort to recruit Finneran for the post.

"It doesn't change our confidence in him at all," Ryan told the Globe at the time.

Ryan, who retains a seat on the board, referred calls yesterday to the chairman, Michael Webb.

Webb issued a statement saying the board "understands the seriousness of today's developments in court" and would convene a meeting soon to discuss the matter.

Finneran is by far the highest-profile figure to be president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, which was established in 1985, and his sudden guilty plea leaves the group in an unfamiliar position of high public scrutiny.

The council's board includes representatives from some of the biggest employers in Massachusetts, including Genzyme Corp., Biogen Idec Inc, and global drugmaker Novartis AG.

Two people familiar with Finneran's employment contract said it contains standard language allowing him to be terminated for cause if convicted of a crime, although it was not clear whether the plea bargain he entered yesterday would trigger the clause.

Stephen Heuser can be reached at sheuser@globe.com.