While Boston College football coach Jeff Jagodzinski proceeds toward a scheduled interview with the New York Jets, athletic director Gene DeFilippo made it clear Monday that doing so will bring an end to the coach's brief tenure in Chestnut Hill.
"Jeff is a very good man and an excellent football coach," DeFilippo said. "He did a wonderful job for us while he was here at BC. I wish Jeff would not take this interview and would remain as head coach at BC."
Jagodzinski is expected to interview with the Jets either Monday night or Tuesday. The Jets are looking for a head coach to succeed Eric Mangini, who was fired last week.
Sources confirmed that Jagodzinski met with DeFilippo and another representative of Boston College for approximately 90 minutes Saturday and it was then that Jagodzinski was told he'd be fired if he interviewed with the Jets.
Jagodzinski reportedly said he was still going to take the interview and would keep in contact with DeFilippo. The coach and DeFilippo spoke by telephone on Sunday and haven't spoken since, sources told ESPN's Kelly Naqi.
Jeff Jagodzinski has been head coach at Boston College the past two seasons.
DeFilippo would not discuss the specifics of Jagodzinski's contract but did say the two had a mutual understanding when Jagodzinski took the BC job just a little more than two years ago that he would be the Eagles' coach beyond the 2008 season.
"We certainly expected it would be more than two years before he would look or accept an interview [with another team]," DeFilippo said. "All contracts are different, as well as the spirit and intent of the contract."
Jagodzinski has three years left on his contract. Were BC to fire him, sources said, the university would be on the hook for the remainder of his salary.
If Jagodzinski is fired, a source told ESPN.com's Pat Forde that Boston College will consider three in-house candidates to replace him as head coach -- offensive coordinator Steve Logan, defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani and offensive line/assistant head coach Jack Bicknell.
The Jets did not have a reaction or confirm they are interested in Jagodzinski, but ESPN and other news outlets have reported his candidacy.
In his two seasons at BC, the 45-year-old Jagodzinski coached the Eagles to a first-place finish in the ACC's Atlantic Division each year. In 2007 the Eagles went 11-3, including a victory over Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl. This past season, BC finished 9-5 after losing to Vanderbilt in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.
Prior to coming to BC, Jagodzinski had worked as an NFL assistant since 1999. He was tight ends coach for the Packers from 1999 to 2002, then served in the same role for the Falcons in 2003 and '04 before moving up to be Atlanta's offensive line coach in '05. He then went back to Green Bay as offensive coordinator for the 2006 season before BC came calling.
Before coming to the NFL, Jagodzinski served on college staffs since 1989 with East Carolina, LSU, Northern Illinois, and Wisconsin-Whitewater (his alma mater).
Information from ESPN reporter Kelly Naqi, ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, and The Associated Press was used in this report.
From ESPN.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
Mass., 10 states agree to low carbon standard
BOSTON—Massachusetts and 10 other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have agreed to create a low carbon fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gases.
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles on Monday said the states will come up with a single standard that would apply to the entire region, creating a larger market for cleaner fuels and the development of clean energy technologies.
Low carbon fuel standards require reductions in the average greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy. It can apply to fuel used for transportation, but also for home heating fuel.
Fuels that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions include electricity and biofuels.
The other states that are part of the initiative include New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles on Monday said the states will come up with a single standard that would apply to the entire region, creating a larger market for cleaner fuels and the development of clean energy technologies.
Low carbon fuel standards require reductions in the average greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy. It can apply to fuel used for transportation, but also for home heating fuel.
Fuels that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions include electricity and biofuels.
The other states that are part of the initiative include New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Obama taps Mass. son as White House photographer
BOSTON—President-elect Barack Obama has tapped a Massachusetts native and Boston University alumnus to be the next official White House photographer.
Former Chicago Tribune photographer Pete Souza will be in charge of visually documenting Obama's administration.
Souza most recently has been teaching photojournalism at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication. His latest book is "The Rise of Barack Obama" and was published in July 2008.
Souza extensively documented Obama's first year in the Senate and accompanied the Democrat to seven countries including Kenya, South Africa and Russia.
The native of South Dartmouth is no stranger to the White House. He also served as Ronald Reagan's photographer.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Former Chicago Tribune photographer Pete Souza will be in charge of visually documenting Obama's administration.
Souza most recently has been teaching photojournalism at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication. His latest book is "The Rise of Barack Obama" and was published in July 2008.
Souza extensively documented Obama's first year in the Senate and accompanied the Democrat to seven countries including Kenya, South Africa and Russia.
The native of South Dartmouth is no stranger to the White House. He also served as Ronald Reagan's photographer.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Boston College stuns No. 1 North Carolina 85-78
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Tyrese Rice and Boston College put an end to all that talk of whether No. 1 North Carolina could go unbeaten.
Rice scored 25 points in his second straight big game against the Tar Heels to help the Eagles stun North Carolina 85-78 on Sunday, likely ending its run atop the early season polls.
Rakim Sanders added 22 points for the Eagles (13-2, 1-0), who led by six points at halftime and pushed the lead to as many as 15 before holding off a frantic rally from the Tar Heels (13-1, 0-1) in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
"We had to have the discipline in order to execute what it is we needed to do," Boston College coach Al Skinner said. "There were going to be breakdowns and there were, but guys were able to refocus and not compound those mistakes."
Tyler Hansbrough scored 21 points to lead North Carolina, which shot 29 percent from the field in the second half and was just 15-for-27 at the foul line for the game.
North Carolina had won its first 13 games by an average of 26 points, with the closest margin being 15 points. But on this day, the Tar Heels looked out of sync against the Eagles' physical defense and had no answers for Rice, who burned them for 46 points last season.
In that game, North Carolina rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit for a 90-80 victory as Rice was the only BC player to reach double figures.
Rice again caused North Carolina plenty of trouble, though this time he had early help from Sanders along with a key contribution from Reggie Jackson (17 points) in the decisive run. There would be no blown lead this time, just the sight of the BC bench spilling onto the court in celebration as the horn sounded.
"Needless to say, it hurts," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "We just never could get over the hump, didn't get them to turn it over very much. Then we had some guys -- including myself -- who didn't have as good of a day that we hoped we'd have."
Sanders scored 18 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer right in front of the North Carolina bench just before the horn that gave the Eagles a 46-40 lead. Then, after North Carolina closed the gap to two points four times, they answered with a spurt that had the Tar Heels chasing them the rest of the game.
First came a 3 from Joe Trapani. Then Jackson had a spinning score followed by a 3 of his own before capping a 12-2 run with a layup past Ellington that made it 70-58 with 10:09 to play.
Two possessions later, Trapani made an uncontested layup after a turnover by Will Graves that made it 74-60 with 9:22 left -- capping a run of five straight scoring possessions.
The Tar Heels, meanwhile, just looked lost. Hansbrough struggled to consistently find space against Josh Southern and frequent double-teams. Frontcourtmate Deon Thompson, who came in averaging 14 points per game, was a no-show and sat on the bench while Graves earned his minutes late. And no one seemed able to make a big shot when the Tar Heels desperately needed one, most notably when they missed three open 3s on one possession in the final 3 minutes.
North Carolina hung in the game with a frantic defensive effort in the final minutes and whittled the lead to 82-78 on a free throw from Hansbrough with 46.2 seconds left, but got no closer. Rice went 3-for-4 at the line in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.
Rice finished 7-for-13 from the field and had eight assists with five rebounds to outperform counterpart Ty Lawson, who had 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting.
Ellington had 16 points, while Thompson had five points on 2-for-6 shooting for the Tar Heels.
(This version CORRECTS that BC led by as many as 15 sted 14 in the second half).)
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Rice scored 25 points in his second straight big game against the Tar Heels to help the Eagles stun North Carolina 85-78 on Sunday, likely ending its run atop the early season polls.
Rakim Sanders added 22 points for the Eagles (13-2, 1-0), who led by six points at halftime and pushed the lead to as many as 15 before holding off a frantic rally from the Tar Heels (13-1, 0-1) in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
"We had to have the discipline in order to execute what it is we needed to do," Boston College coach Al Skinner said. "There were going to be breakdowns and there were, but guys were able to refocus and not compound those mistakes."
Tyler Hansbrough scored 21 points to lead North Carolina, which shot 29 percent from the field in the second half and was just 15-for-27 at the foul line for the game.
North Carolina had won its first 13 games by an average of 26 points, with the closest margin being 15 points. But on this day, the Tar Heels looked out of sync against the Eagles' physical defense and had no answers for Rice, who burned them for 46 points last season.
In that game, North Carolina rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit for a 90-80 victory as Rice was the only BC player to reach double figures.
Rice again caused North Carolina plenty of trouble, though this time he had early help from Sanders along with a key contribution from Reggie Jackson (17 points) in the decisive run. There would be no blown lead this time, just the sight of the BC bench spilling onto the court in celebration as the horn sounded.
"Needless to say, it hurts," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "We just never could get over the hump, didn't get them to turn it over very much. Then we had some guys -- including myself -- who didn't have as good of a day that we hoped we'd have."
Sanders scored 18 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer right in front of the North Carolina bench just before the horn that gave the Eagles a 46-40 lead. Then, after North Carolina closed the gap to two points four times, they answered with a spurt that had the Tar Heels chasing them the rest of the game.
First came a 3 from Joe Trapani. Then Jackson had a spinning score followed by a 3 of his own before capping a 12-2 run with a layup past Ellington that made it 70-58 with 10:09 to play.
Two possessions later, Trapani made an uncontested layup after a turnover by Will Graves that made it 74-60 with 9:22 left -- capping a run of five straight scoring possessions.
The Tar Heels, meanwhile, just looked lost. Hansbrough struggled to consistently find space against Josh Southern and frequent double-teams. Frontcourtmate Deon Thompson, who came in averaging 14 points per game, was a no-show and sat on the bench while Graves earned his minutes late. And no one seemed able to make a big shot when the Tar Heels desperately needed one, most notably when they missed three open 3s on one possession in the final 3 minutes.
North Carolina hung in the game with a frantic defensive effort in the final minutes and whittled the lead to 82-78 on a free throw from Hansbrough with 46.2 seconds left, but got no closer. Rice went 3-for-4 at the line in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.
Rice finished 7-for-13 from the field and had eight assists with five rebounds to outperform counterpart Ty Lawson, who had 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting.
Ellington had 16 points, while Thompson had five points on 2-for-6 shooting for the Tar Heels.
(This version CORRECTS that BC led by as many as 15 sted 14 in the second half).)
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
This Week In Massachusetts History
6 January 1811
U.S. senator Charles Sumner born (Boston)
7 January 1822
Town of Boston petitions the Legislature for a city charter
8 January 1764
Epidemic of smallpox forces people to flee the city and many businesses close (Boston)
11 January 1798
Opening of Bulfinch State House
12 January 1737
Merchant and politician John Hancock born (North Braintree, now Quincy)
13 January 1834
Author Horatio Alger born (Revere)
Reprinted from www.masshist.org The Massachusetts Historical Society
U.S. senator Charles Sumner born (Boston)
7 January 1822
Town of Boston petitions the Legislature for a city charter
8 January 1764
Epidemic of smallpox forces people to flee the city and many businesses close (Boston)
11 January 1798
Opening of Bulfinch State House
12 January 1737
Merchant and politician John Hancock born (North Braintree, now Quincy)
13 January 1834
Author Horatio Alger born (Revere)
Reprinted from www.masshist.org The Massachusetts Historical Society
The name Massachusetts comes from Algonquian Indian words that mean the great mountain, an apparent reference to the tallest of the Blue Hills, a recreation area south of the town of Milton. Massachusetts is nicknamed the "Bay State", for the early settlement on Cape Cod Bay. Like other New Englanders, Bay Staters are popularly referred to as Yankees.
Much of the American heritage is embodied in Massachusetts. The windswept seacoast of this small northeastern state may have been the first part of what is now the United States seen by Europeans. The Mayflower colonists who reached Plimoth (Plymouth) in December 1620 (in the words of Governor William Bradford) found it "fitt for shipping; and marched into ye land, & found diverse cornfields, & little running brooks, a place fitt for situation". These Pilgrims were refugees from religious persecution that had already driven them to another alien land. The English-speaking colony they founded became the New World's hub of liberty and culture, its cradle of commerce and industry.
Reprinted from www.masshome.com
Much of the American heritage is embodied in Massachusetts. The windswept seacoast of this small northeastern state may have been the first part of what is now the United States seen by Europeans. The Mayflower colonists who reached Plimoth (Plymouth) in December 1620 (in the words of Governor William Bradford) found it "fitt for shipping; and marched into ye land, & found diverse cornfields, & little running brooks, a place fitt for situation". These Pilgrims were refugees from religious persecution that had already driven them to another alien land. The English-speaking colony they founded became the New World's hub of liberty and culture, its cradle of commerce and industry.
Reprinted from www.masshome.com
The New England Patriots have decided to ensure that quarterback Matt Cassel won't be an unrestricted free agent, as scheduled in March.
Watch highlights from the 2008 season of Patriots QB Matt Cassel, as he worked to prove himself as more than just a backup.
Sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Patriots will use a franchise tag on Cassel that will give the team two options: Trade him if all goes well with Tom Brady's rehabilitation from a knee injury or keep him because all is not well with Brady.
The Patriots' intention to franchise Cassel was first reported by the National Football Post.
That would mean the Patriots would have about $29 million in salary cap space tied up in two quarterbacks, with Brady earning almost $15 million and Cassel guaranteed over $14 million.
However, the cap jumps to $123 million per team, which gives the Patriots $94 million to manage the rest of their roster.
AFC East blog
ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division .
"That's a smart move. You don't want to go into a season with uncertainty at that position," Patriots safety Rodney Harrison told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "We figure Brady is going to be all right, but it always helps to have two great QBs."
Reprinted from ESPN.com
Watch highlights from the 2008 season of Patriots QB Matt Cassel, as he worked to prove himself as more than just a backup.
Sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Patriots will use a franchise tag on Cassel that will give the team two options: Trade him if all goes well with Tom Brady's rehabilitation from a knee injury or keep him because all is not well with Brady.
The Patriots' intention to franchise Cassel was first reported by the National Football Post.
That would mean the Patriots would have about $29 million in salary cap space tied up in two quarterbacks, with Brady earning almost $15 million and Cassel guaranteed over $14 million.
However, the cap jumps to $123 million per team, which gives the Patriots $94 million to manage the rest of their roster.
AFC East blog
ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division .
"That's a smart move. You don't want to go into a season with uncertainty at that position," Patriots safety Rodney Harrison told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "We figure Brady is going to be all right, but it always helps to have two great QBs."
Reprinted from ESPN.com
Cost of tying knot in Mass. inches up with new law
BOSTON—Tying the knot in Massachusetts just got a little bit more expensive.
A bill signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick increases the amount that justices of the peace can charge couples to perform weddings.
Under the old rules, a justice of the peace could charge up to $75 to marry couples in the justice's hometown, and up to $125 if the justice had to travel out of his or her hometown.
The new law increases those fees to $100 and $150.
The existing law already bars justices of the peace from making additional charges for providing flowers, music, a photographer, a location for the marriage ceremony to take place, or for providing an unofficial certificate of marriage.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
A bill signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick increases the amount that justices of the peace can charge couples to perform weddings.
Under the old rules, a justice of the peace could charge up to $75 to marry couples in the justice's hometown, and up to $125 if the justice had to travel out of his or her hometown.
The new law increases those fees to $100 and $150.
The existing law already bars justices of the peace from making additional charges for providing flowers, music, a photographer, a location for the marriage ceremony to take place, or for providing an unofficial certificate of marriage.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
House to vote on whether to keep DiMasi as speaker
BOSTON—House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi is expected to win re-election to another term as speaker on Wednesday -- but his troubles aren't likely to end there.
Even as he organizes the 160-member House for a new two-year session and prepares for deep budget cuts, DiMasi must contend with the ethics clouds gathered over his office while tamping down the behind-the-scenes chatter by some of his top lieutenants already eyeing his seat.
While critics say the ethics questions and political jockeying has undercut the speaker's clout, top aides insist the Boston Democrat isn't distracted.
"Speaker DiMasi enjoys overwhelming support from the members and is proud of the House's accomplishments under his leadership," said DiMasi spokesman David Guarino. "The Speaker is focused on the important issues before the House in the next session."
Reminders of his troubles refuse to go away.
On Monday, just two days before DiMasi faces re-election by House members, close friend Richard Vitale is scheduled to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court for violations of state lobbying and campaign finance laws. Vitale is accused of concealing his work as a lobbyist and having contact with the speaker while pushing a bill on behalf of ticket brokers.
The speaker has said he never spoke to Vitale about the bill and Vitale has denied acting as a lobbyist. His attorney said the work he did for the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers was exempt from the state's lobbying registration requirements.
Attorney General Martha Coakley said Vitale was paid $60,000 in lobbying fees by ticket brokers interested in changing the state's scalping laws. She said Vitale communicated directly with DiMasi before the bill passed the House last year. The legislation, which would have lifted restrictions on price markups by ticket brokers, died in the Senate.
While no direct allegations have been made against DiMasi, the cloud of uncertainty has threatened to open a political vacuum in the House. At least one ally of DiMasi has already publicly broken with him.
Rep. David Torrisi, chairman of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, said he will vote "present" during Wednesday's roll call. The North Andover Democrat said he was concerned the ethics investigations are making it difficult for DiMasi to be effective.
There's little evidence other House members are prepared to follow Torrisi.
House Ways and Means Chairman Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, one of the top candidates to replace DiMasi, is planning to vote for him on Wednesday, a DeLeo spokesman said.
Another top contender, House Majority Leader John Rogers, isn't expected to directly challenge DiMasi but, like DeLeo, has been trying to line up backers for a future bid.
State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, co-chairman of the Committee on Public Health, echoed the feelings of many House Democrats. He said members are generally pleased with DiMasi's leadership and predicted Wednesday will be "a day of overwhelming support for Speaker DiMasi."
"For all the sound and fury, there's no direct allegations of any misconduct by the Speaker," Koutoujian said. "I don't get the sense there is any groundswell out there."
Despite the questions dogging DiMasi, it's unlikely that he could be ousted immediately, said Tobe Berkovitz, associate dean of Boston University's College of Communication.
That's particularly true in the House, where the power of the speaker to appoint members to key positions tends to undercut support for any coup d'etat -- unless a speaker is already under indictment or more directly linked to wrongdoing in the public's eye.
"Once there's an indictment it strengthens the hands of the rebels," Berkovitz said. "Without an indictment, it is very, very tough."
The 10-count indictment issued against Vitale includes charges of failing to register as a lobbyist, as well as making political donations in excess of the state's $200 limit. It pertains only to Vitale, and not DiMasi. The case was referred to Coakley after Secretary of State William Galvin failed to get Vitale to register.
DiMasi had earlier repaid an unusual $250,000 third mortgage he received from Vitale on his North End condominium after the loan was disclosed by the Boston Globe. That loan could have been illegal if Vitale were a lobbyist, since the state's conflict-of-interest law prohibits members from accepting anything of value from lobbyists.
A second friend of DiMasi's -- Richard McDonough -- also found himself at odd with Galvin for refusing to detail his lobbying efforts on behalf the software company Cognos ULC efforts while the company was seeking state contracts.
Galvin backed off threats to suspend his ability to work as a lobbyist after McDonough agreed to provide the details. The Burlington-based software company received two state contracts worth $17.5 million in 2006 and 2007.
DiMasi knows how precarious the position of speaker can be.
He won election to the post in 2004 after former House Speaker Thomas Finneran opted out of the job under his own ethics cloud, including a federal investigation into Finneran's role in the redrawing of House districts.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Even as he organizes the 160-member House for a new two-year session and prepares for deep budget cuts, DiMasi must contend with the ethics clouds gathered over his office while tamping down the behind-the-scenes chatter by some of his top lieutenants already eyeing his seat.
While critics say the ethics questions and political jockeying has undercut the speaker's clout, top aides insist the Boston Democrat isn't distracted.
"Speaker DiMasi enjoys overwhelming support from the members and is proud of the House's accomplishments under his leadership," said DiMasi spokesman David Guarino. "The Speaker is focused on the important issues before the House in the next session."
Reminders of his troubles refuse to go away.
On Monday, just two days before DiMasi faces re-election by House members, close friend Richard Vitale is scheduled to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court for violations of state lobbying and campaign finance laws. Vitale is accused of concealing his work as a lobbyist and having contact with the speaker while pushing a bill on behalf of ticket brokers.
The speaker has said he never spoke to Vitale about the bill and Vitale has denied acting as a lobbyist. His attorney said the work he did for the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers was exempt from the state's lobbying registration requirements.
Attorney General Martha Coakley said Vitale was paid $60,000 in lobbying fees by ticket brokers interested in changing the state's scalping laws. She said Vitale communicated directly with DiMasi before the bill passed the House last year. The legislation, which would have lifted restrictions on price markups by ticket brokers, died in the Senate.
While no direct allegations have been made against DiMasi, the cloud of uncertainty has threatened to open a political vacuum in the House. At least one ally of DiMasi has already publicly broken with him.
Rep. David Torrisi, chairman of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, said he will vote "present" during Wednesday's roll call. The North Andover Democrat said he was concerned the ethics investigations are making it difficult for DiMasi to be effective.
There's little evidence other House members are prepared to follow Torrisi.
House Ways and Means Chairman Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, one of the top candidates to replace DiMasi, is planning to vote for him on Wednesday, a DeLeo spokesman said.
Another top contender, House Majority Leader John Rogers, isn't expected to directly challenge DiMasi but, like DeLeo, has been trying to line up backers for a future bid.
State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, co-chairman of the Committee on Public Health, echoed the feelings of many House Democrats. He said members are generally pleased with DiMasi's leadership and predicted Wednesday will be "a day of overwhelming support for Speaker DiMasi."
"For all the sound and fury, there's no direct allegations of any misconduct by the Speaker," Koutoujian said. "I don't get the sense there is any groundswell out there."
Despite the questions dogging DiMasi, it's unlikely that he could be ousted immediately, said Tobe Berkovitz, associate dean of Boston University's College of Communication.
That's particularly true in the House, where the power of the speaker to appoint members to key positions tends to undercut support for any coup d'etat -- unless a speaker is already under indictment or more directly linked to wrongdoing in the public's eye.
"Once there's an indictment it strengthens the hands of the rebels," Berkovitz said. "Without an indictment, it is very, very tough."
The 10-count indictment issued against Vitale includes charges of failing to register as a lobbyist, as well as making political donations in excess of the state's $200 limit. It pertains only to Vitale, and not DiMasi. The case was referred to Coakley after Secretary of State William Galvin failed to get Vitale to register.
DiMasi had earlier repaid an unusual $250,000 third mortgage he received from Vitale on his North End condominium after the loan was disclosed by the Boston Globe. That loan could have been illegal if Vitale were a lobbyist, since the state's conflict-of-interest law prohibits members from accepting anything of value from lobbyists.
A second friend of DiMasi's -- Richard McDonough -- also found himself at odd with Galvin for refusing to detail his lobbying efforts on behalf the software company Cognos ULC efforts while the company was seeking state contracts.
Galvin backed off threats to suspend his ability to work as a lobbyist after McDonough agreed to provide the details. The Burlington-based software company received two state contracts worth $17.5 million in 2006 and 2007.
DiMasi knows how precarious the position of speaker can be.
He won election to the post in 2004 after former House Speaker Thomas Finneran opted out of the job under his own ethics cloud, including a federal investigation into Finneran's role in the redrawing of House districts.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.
Welcome to All Over Massachusetts!
Welcome to All Over Massachusetts! Here I willl be bringing you news, pictures, links and all things Bay State. I hope that after awhile it can become the most complete source for links to online Massachusetts newspapers, radio & television stations as well as provide interesting topics of discussions for Bay Staters. As the blog builds I hope to see many comments which willl enrich the blog and serve as a virtual community for all those whom live in or have ties to Massachusetts.
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