Ties set in concrete
Not long ago, our esteemed governor and estimable attorney general were waxing philosophic about the need to make sure nobody of dubious character got any of the state's $8 billion in federal stimulus money because that would be, like, bad.
And so the state has just awarded $4.2 million in stimulus money to Aggregate Industries to resurface Route 2 between Littleton and Harvard.
Two years ago, Aggregate Industries pleaded guilty in federal court to supplying 5,700 truckloads of substandard concrete for the Big Dig. In a deal worked out by federal prosecutors and Attorney General Martha Coakley, Aggregate paid a $50 million fine. Six former managers are awaiting trial for fraud.
The company paid so they could play: Say you're sorry, pay a big fine, throw some middle managers under the bus, and everybody's back in business.
You would think a company like that might be viewed through something less than rose-colored glasses. But on Beacon Hill, the view is not rose-colored, it's green, because when companies like Aggregate aren't spreading lousy concrete all over the Big Dig, they're spreading cash all over the Hill.
Over the last decade, Aggregate and Bardon Trimount, the company it used to be known as, contributed tens of thousands to state reps and senators, especially to those who sit on committees that might be useful. For example, Senator Steven Baddour, Democrat of Methuen, the cochairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation and a member of the Legislature's stimulus oversight committee, has taken in thousands from Aggregate executives since 2004.
Colin Durrant, spokesman for the state's Executive Office of Transportation, said Aggregate lost out on four other stimulus contracts, but it was low bidder for the Route 2 project "in a public bidding process that is devoid of any political influence." So, if you're keeping score at home, the $500 Aggregate president Roberto Huet contributed to Governor Patrick four months ago meant nothing.
Aggregate's ability to land contracts raises the question: Just what do you have to do to be considered damaged goods in this state?
"Part of the plea agreement calls for ongoing independent monitoring, so we felt that the fine combined with the independent monitoring was punishment enough," Durrant said. So Aggregate will continue to grease pols and win contracts. It's all legit, because the rules are written by those who benefit most from them, the same people who say they're busy cleaning up Beacon Hill for us.
For much of the last decade, many of Aggregate's political contributions were doled out by one of its marketing guys, Vincent J. Piro. That's the same Vinnie Piro who left office as a state rep 25 years ago in the midst of a bribery scandal and was able to use that ignominious exit to triple his pension by exploiting a device legislators may or may not get rid of in their incredible, relentless drive to clean up government excess.
Give Vinnie some credit. He knew when to give back money: when he figured out the cash he took was from an undercover FBI agent. It didn't save his political career, but it got him acquitted.
So now we know the guy who once told an undercover agent he needed 5 large to "grease a few guys" for a liquor license was up on Beacon Hill greasing a few guys - this time legally. For a concrete company.
You can't make this stuff up.
I called the great Vinnie Piro and he cheerfully acknowledged he was the guy who wrote the campaign checks, but assured me he was no longer in the employ of Aggregate Industries. "I retired two years ago," he said. "The company downsized. The company's a shell of what it was."
So they stiffed you, Vinnie? "Nah," Vinnie Piro said. "I got a severance package."
Cullen can be reached at cullen@globe.com. 