DiMasi loses ally in bid to keep post

Reelection vote looms next week

A top House lawmaker who has flourished under House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi said last night that he would not support DiMasi's bid next week for another two-year term.

Representative David Torrisi, the House chairman of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, said he would vote "present" next week, a decision he labored over for months.

"The allegations are serious, and I think it's time for new leadership in the House," Torrisi, a North Andover Democrat, said in an interview. "Quite frankly, I was hoping he would have stepped down by now."

Torrisi is the first Democrat to break with DiMasi and go public with his concerns that the ethical investigations surrounding the DiMasi make it difficult for him to continue as an effective speaker.

"I do think that people, our constituents, expect more from us," Torrisi said. "The cloud that has been cast upon us is vast."

Torrisi has been close to DiMasi, who attended his wedding in 2006.

It is unclear whether Torrisi's comments will prompt other members to follow. Privately, several lawmakers said last night they were deeply troubled by the allegations surrounding the House speaker and are torn over whether to vote for him.

Others said they are leaning toward supporting him, but could change their mind before the Democrats vote in a caucus on Jan. 7.

"I'm going to be very, very careful before I will assume somebody has done something," said Representative Mary Grant, a Democrat from Beverly. "I'm an, 'innocent until proven guilty' here."

She said if the vote were held today she would support DiMasi, but added, "I don't know where it's going. There's time between now and then."

State and federal authorities are investigating large payments made to DiMasi's friends and close associates by special interest groups seeking favors on Beacon Hill. One of those friends, his accountant Richard Vitale, was indicted Dec. 18 by Attorney General Martha Coakley for failing to report $60,000 he received from an association of ticket brokers.

DiMasi's spokesman, David Guarino, said in a statement last night that "Speaker DiMasi enjoys overwhelming support from the members and is proud of the House's accomplishments under his leadership, from landmark healthcare legislation to nation-leading energy reforms. The speaker is focused on the important issues before the House in the next session and won't be distracted from the challenges facing the Commonwealth."

Torrisi acknowledged that DiMasi would almost certainly win reelection, a prediction that several members made last week.

DiMasi has been calling legislators into his office, trying to shore up support as he explains why he has been fighting the state Ethics Commission, which has gone to court to try to force him to provide records relating to a state software contract.

Torrisi met with DiMasi for about 20 minutes Dec. 22, where he told him he would not vote for him again.

"I'm sure he's disappointed," Torrisi said. "But I need to do what's best for my district, for the Commonwealth, and my own personal conscience."

Torrisi expects DiMasi to punish him by revoking his chairmanship, which provides him $7,500 in additional pay and several extra staff members.

"I'm sure my political career, I wouldn't say it's in jeopardy, but it's off the track a little bit," Torrisi said. "I won't have the same voice at the table and have that benefit anymore. But at the end of the day this is something I felt pretty strongly about."

Other chairmen were quick last night to jump to DiMasi's defense.

"I'm sad there are people that would feel that way," said Representative Daniel Bosley, a North Adams Democrat. "There's no charges, there's no allegations, it's just newspaper stories. I don't think we should guide ourselves by that."

Two members of the House - Robert A. DeLeo, House Ways and Means chairman, and John H. Rogers, House majority leader - have been campaigning to succeed DiMasi, but neither has shown any interest in challenging the speaker directly. Both have said they would run only if DiMasi steps down.

Torrisi is backing DeLeo in that fight.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. Andrea Estes can be reached at estes@globe.com.