 |
Republicans now have filed three ethics complaints against DiMasi in two months. |
GOP fires third salvo at DiMasi
State Republicans ask Ethics Commission to investigate a friend on possible lobbying
The state Republican Party yesterday filed its third state Ethics Commission complaint in two months against House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, asking the commission to investigate the actions of DiMasi's friend, Richard Vitale, on behalf of ticket brokers who were seeking favorable legislation on Beacon Hill.
A Globe story Sunday reported that the ticket brokers hired Vitale last year to work on their behalf, but that Vitale never registered as a lobbyist. The story said that, beyond their friendship, Vitale also gave DiMasi a $250,000 loan secured by a third mortgage on his North End condo in 2006. It is a violation of the state's conflict-of-interest law for a public official to accept anything from a lobbyist.
Also yesterday, Secretary of State William F. Galvin warned Vitale to register as a lobbyist or face possible penalties, fines or "additional enforcement action."
"We're taking action," Galvin said. "We've done it before, and we'll do it again. We can't let people collect fees to try to influence public policy without disclosure."
Galvin's office demanded the names of "all executive and legislative officials" Vitale met with or contacted and the dates, a list of all activities concerning ticket sales; the number of hours he spent on these activities, and his "salary, retainers, and any other payments or compensation attributable to lobbying efforts."
Vitale's spokesman, George Regan, declined to comment. Regan said previously that Vitale was not a lobbyist, but a strategist for the group.
Republicans had filed two earlier ethics complaints, also after Globe stories this year, which three state officials who have been briefed on the review said yesterday are already being investigated by the ethics panel.
In one of those complaints, Republicans asked the commission to investigate whether DiMasi might have violated the state conflict-of-interest law by attempting to steer a controversial, multimillion dollar contract to
They also asked the commission to determine if DiMasi accepted a free golf game from Joseph O'Donnell, one of the owners of Suffolk Downs, who was looking to operate a resort casino on the grounds of the East Boston racetrack.
DiMasi has denied acting on behalf of Cognos. With regards to playing golf with O'Donnell, DiMasi has said that he and O'Donnell were longtime friends, and that DiMasi offered to pay O'Donnell for the golf at the time of the outing, and he has since reimbursed him for it. In an interview with the Globe last week, DiMasi said he had no idea Vitale was working on ticket broker legislation pending in the House.
After the group retained Vitale, a bill favorable to the industry that would lift all price restrictions for any resellers licensed with the state sailed through the House last fall. It is now bottled up in the Senate, where it is unlikely to pass in its current form, according to the Senate chairman of the committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, Michael Morrissey.
"Speaker DiMasi can't just throw his hands up and claim he had nothing to do with it," charged Republican party spokesman Barney Keller. "This is a speaker who is more controlling than even Tom Finneran, so for him to deny that he had no influence on this bill is laughable.
Asked about the ethics allegations, DiMasi spokesman David Guarino responded, "The speaker's actions in these matters were completely appropriate."
Galvin's office also wrote to James Holzman, the head of ACE Ticket Worldwide, who arranged for the brokers to hire Vitale.
"If you have hired a legislative and/or executive agent who exceeds fifty hours or is compensated $5,000 or more during a six-month reporting period, you must register as a client who employs a lobbyist and report your activity to this office," said the letter, signed by Marie Marra, supervisor, lobbyist section.
Holzman said he hadn't yet received the letter.
Andrea Estes can be reached at estes@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
