For John, BLUF: Are all General Court House Speakers corrupt? Nothing to see here; just move along.
I have reread a couple of times the Tuesday news story in The Boston Globe, titled "US cites influence by DeLeo on hirings". This is about the hiring scandal at the Probation Department. But it isn't Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo who is on trial.♠ He just gets the headline. It is Mr John J O'Brien, a former Probation Commissioner. The lede:
Federal prosecutors said Monday that they will introduce evidence confirming there was a quid pro quo agreement by which probation officials gave jobs to House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo’s favored applicants, and, in return, DeLeo provided legislative favors for probation officials.It is the Boston Attorney's Office,♥ and it is the Department of Justice, which was into prosecutorial overreach even back in the Bush Administration.♦
If that wasn't enough, we have a Federal Judge, William G. Young, telling the Government to move along.
It will be interesting to see how the Jury responds to this proceedings. The jury is an important safeguard in our system of justice.
And what does this say about the Massachusetts Attorney General that this had to be taken up by the Federal Authorities? I don't see it as a good sign. Perhaps Ms Coakley should have been after this rats nest rather than trying to go after former Treasurer Tim Cahill, and then, having gotten a hung jury, extorting $100,000 from him. To be fair to Mr Cahill, I hope Ms Coakley is not appearing in any news outlet as the Attorney General, for fear that it will appear to be using Commonwealth funds and assets and position to enhance her run for the Democrat Party nomination for Governor this year.
Regards — Cliff
♠ For you cynics, yes, it would follow a pattern well established if he was on trial, but at this point he is not.
♥ Remember the Caswell Motel Asset Forfeiture fiasco?
♦ Remember US Senator Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska?
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