In September 2011, the Democrat and former state representative was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty on corruption and extortion charges. DiMasi and lobbyist Richard McDonough had solicited payment from a Canadian software company in exchange for steering state contracts their way. The disgraced former speaker is believed to be on his way to Worcester, MA to testify before a federal grand jury this month. While the specific focus of the grand jury was not confirmed, the Boston Globe reports that sources close to US Attorney Carmen M Ortiz say they've been hearing evidence on rigged hiring and promotion practices within the commonwealth's Probation Department.
“People are in a state of shock that he’s coming back to testify," said one Beacon Hill lobbyist, who asked not to be named for fear of damaging business relationships. “There are a lot of nervous people around."DiMasi is the 3rd straight Massachusetts speaker of the house to resign while facing charges. The previous two- Charles Flaherty and Thomas Finneran- were eventually found guilty of charges ranging from obstruction of justice to tax evasion in seperate cases.
DiMasi was so important to John J. O’Brien, the former probation commissioner, that he kept a special spreadsheet of DiMasi’s preferred job candidates titled “DiMasi, Speaker Sal."
Grand juries, which are convened by prosecutors to collect evidence for potential criminal charges, conduct their work in secret. As a result, it is possible that DiMasi is to testify in another federal investigation.
Current and former elected officials were stunned by the news that DiMasi could testify and perhaps provide new firsthand details about the cozy relationship between the Legislature and the court system. Beacon Hill has been abuzz for months with rumors that the probation grand jury may soon indict a dozen or more people, including several current and former legislators.
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