Salvatore F. DiMasi's corruption trial

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and two associates faced federal public corruption charges, accused of using the power of the speaker’s office to steer multimillion-dollar contracts to a software company in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks. DiMasi was found guilty.

DiMasi connections

A graphic that outlines the alleged scheme involving sales of computer software to the Commonwealth

Defendants

Richard Vitale

A financial adviser and former DiMasi associate facing federal corruption charges along with the ex-speaker.

Richard McDonough

A Beacon Hill lobbyist and longtime DiMasi friend also facing corruption charges.

Joseph P. Lally Jr.

The ex-Cognos vice president pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators in exchange for a reduced sentence.

DiMasi says he testified to grand jury

During his five hours of testimony before a federal grand jury, Former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi insisted that he gave no significant details about the state Probation Department hiring scandal. (Globe)

DiMasi may testify to US panel

Two months into a federal prison sentence, ex-House speaker Salvatore DiMasi is returning to his home state to testify before a federal grand jury, according to a person with direct knowledge of the arrangement. (Globe)

DiMasi begins 8-year term in Kentucky prison hospital

Former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi kept his date with his federal jailers, and is now being housed in the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., as he begins his eight-year sentence for corruption convictions. (Boston Globe, 11/30/11)

DiMasi has a new title:
Inmate no. 27317038

The US Bureau of Prisons has assigned the Boston Democrat the number in anticipation of his incarceration at a federal facility in Lexington, Ky. (Boston Globe, 11/29/11)

DiMasi loses bid to stay out of prison during appeal process

Former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi today lost his bid to stay out of prison while appealing the federal corruption convictions that leave him facing eight years in federal prison. (Boston Globe, 11/15/11)

DiMasi wins brief delay in start of federal prison sentence

Former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi will be able to spend Thanksgiving at home this year after US District Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf changed the date DiMasi must report to federal prison to Nov. 30. (Boston Globe, 11/3/11)

Co-defendant Lally, who cooperated
in DiMasi case, sentenced

Joseph P. Lally Jr. received 18 months in prison, a significant break from sentencing guidelines for his decision to plead guilty and to testify against his fellow co-defendants, including Salvatore F. DiMasi. (Boston Globe, 10/19/11)

DiMasi friend pleads guilty
to lobbying, finance charges

Richard Vitale, former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi's friend and ex-financial adviser, has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of state lobbying and campaign finance violations. (Boston Globe, 10/7/11)

DiMasi and co-defendant ask for delay
in reporting to prison

Former House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and co-defendant Richard McDonough have asked a federal judge to push back the date they must report to prison, so that they can properly prepare an argument that they stay free pending a lengthy appeals process. (Boston Globe, 9/16/11)

State retirement board votes
to suspend DiMasi pension

The state retirement board has voted to suspend the pension of convicted former House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. The suspension is effective immediately, and DiMasi will not receive a $5,000 payment he was slated to receive on Sept. 30. (Boston Globe, 9/15/11)

Disgraced DiMasi is given 8 years

Former Massachusetts House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his conviction on political corruption charges, the longest federal sentence handed out to an elected official in Massachusetts history. (Boston Globe, 9/10/11)

DiMasi begs for leniency

Salvatore F. DiMasi tearfully pleaded for mercy yesterday, saying he is a "broken man" who deserves the court’s compassion in setting his jail sentence. (Boston Globe, 9/9/11)

DiMasi appeal to test high court ruling

The verdict was loud and clear. A federal court jury found former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi guilty of seven counts of public corruption for helping a software company win multimillion-dollar state contracts in exchange for kickbacks. But legal wrangling in the high-profile case is far from over. (Boston Globe, 6/18/11)

DiMasi found guilty on 7 of 9
counts in kickback scheme

A federal jury in Boston found former House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi guilty of exploiting one of the most powerful offices in Mass. for his own personal gain when he helped a software company win multimillion-dollar state contracts in exchange for kickbacks. (Boston Globe, 6/16/11)

Judge instructs jury

The judge warned jurors in the corruption trial of the former House speaker that the instruction process could be lengthy and “excruciating.” (Globe, 6/13/11)

Twitter updates Glen Johnson | Milton Valencia

Lawyers scorch, defend DiMasi

Prosecutors asked a federal court jury to find that Salvatore F. DiMasi and two associates leveraged one of the most powerful positions in Massachusetts to help a Burlington software company win multimillion-dollar state contracts in exchange for kickbacks. (Boston Globe, 6/11/11)

Brian McGrory: Fool disclosure

Defense rests, shifts
focus to jury instructions

After calling only three witnesses, lawyers in the public corruption trial of former House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi rested their case in federal court, concluding testimony in the high-profile criminal trial. (Boston Globe, 6/8/11)

Defense begins its case

Ex-state education commissioner David Driscoll told the jury that his office began pushing for education data software in early 2005, long before he spoke with the former House speaker about the product. (Boston Globe, 6/6/11)

Soaring DiMasi debt is described

Salvatore F. DiMasi racked up so much personal debt while speaker of the House that he sought relief by soliciting kickbacks from a Burlington software company seeking business with the state, according to prosecutors and a witness in federal court. (Boston Globe, 6/2/11)

Vitale pivotal to Cognos
deal, secretary says

An associate of Salvatore F. DiMasi played such a key role in securing a software contract with the state that he had his secretary deliver specially crafted legislation for the project directly to the State House, the secretary testified yesterday. (Boston Globe, 5/31/11)

Witness: Globe story sparked flurry of phone calls

DiMasi warned, ‘Don’t forget that contract’

In a historic appearance on the witness stand, Governor Deval Patrick told a federal jury that Salvatore F. DiMasi aggressively lobbied him for a multimillion-dollar software contract in 2007, then asked Patrick to publicly deny his involvement. (Boston Globe, 5/28/11)

Witness says deal OK’d to mollify DiMasi

The state’s former budget chief told a federal jury that she approved what turned out to be a questionable contract with a Burlington software company in 2007 in part to mend rocky relations between the Patrick administration and the House speaker. (Boston Globe, 5/25/11)

Ex-Cabinet secretary backed Cognos deal
to ease tension with DiMasi

The state’s former head of administration and finance told a federal jury Wednesday that she signed what turned out to be a questionable, multimillion-dollar contract with a Burlington software company in 2007 in hopes of mending relations between the Patrick administration and then-House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. (Boston Globe, 5/25/11)

Ex-adviser: DiMasi pushed for contract

A former adviser to Governor Deval Patrick testified that in spring 2007 Salvatore F. DiMasi, then the speaker of the House, tucked language authorizing the purchase of software into an emergency spending package. (Boston Globe)

Video Testimony links more payments to DiMasi