It should suck to be Salvatore Francis DiMasi, the jailbird ex-House speaker who’s again on the entrance web page once more on the age of 76.
He’s a lobbyist, don’t you understand, and if his superior age would appear to place him on the again 9, it doesn’t, not less than not by State House lobbying requirements.
Ex-Sen. Wacky Jackie Brennan of Malden, who’s a month youthful than Sal, made $280,000 final 12 months, in accordance with his submitting with the secretary of state.
How about ex-Lt. Gov. Tommy O’Neill, who was final elected to the Legislature in 1972? He’s 77 and he reported $350,000 in earnings in 2021.
Then there’s Sal. He was the hacko di tutti hacki on Beacon Hill, however now he’s strictly a ham-and-egger, not less than in lobbying phrases. He reported $62,500 in earnings final 12 months, after a meager $3,750 in 2020.
But not less than Sal’s received his kiss within the mail, proper? Actually, no. His $60,142.32 a 12 months state pension was yanked in 2011, again when he was issued his first orange jumpsuit by the federal Bureau of Prisons.
In the 11 years since Sal misplaced the pension, Billy Bulger, simply to quote one in all his fellow legislative alumni, has pocketed nearly $3 million — most lately on the price of $272,719 every year.
So Sal’s pension is kaput, I feel the apartment within the North End with the three mortgages is gone, the Marstons Mills manse is lengthy gone, the trophy second spouse’s media profession is defunct and now the SJC provides him a dope slap upside the top.
The state’s highest courtroom has determined to take up the legality of a state legislation saying {that a} convicted federal felon can not turn out to be a lobbyist for 10 years following his conviction.
That was the statute that Secretary of State Bill Galvin used to attempt to cease his previous legislative colleague from turning into a lobbyist. But it’s now moot as a result of it’s been greater than a decade since Sal took the autumn.
Nevertheless, the SJC has determined to rule on the case as a result of, it stated, the problem of a criminal attempting to return to the scene of his crime, on this case the State House, “is likely to recur.”
No kidding! In reality, different convicted felons who occur to be former House audio system are additionally lobbyists, however they received in beneath the wire. They weren’t grandfathered in, they have been grand-feloned in, you would possibly say.
Consider Thomas “Felon” Finneran, now the proprietor of Finneran Global Strategies. Obstructed justice in 2003, however no downside. Last 12 months the Felon reported making $484,000, up from $260,500 in 2020.
As speaker, he succeeded Good Time Charlie Flaherty. Flaherty went down on an income-tax evasion rap. He’s now 83 years previous, however Charlie nonetheless reported $61,000 in lobbying charges final 12 months, after making $90,000 in 2020.
What’s the distinction between Finneran and Flaherty and DiMasi? The F-boys pleaded responsible, and thus got suspended sentences. DiMasi foolishly demanded a trial — that was his huge mistake. Once the G-men laid the conspiracy out intimately — he extorted $65,000 with the assistance of a bagman and, sure, a lobbyist — what the hell selection did the choose have?
Likewise, what selection did the Legislature have? Reluctantly, they handed the 10-year felon ban.
And now Sal finds himself disadvantaged of the power to make large quantities of cash for purchasing limitless rounds of drinks, like everyone else who ever served, or was overserved, within the Massachusetts General Court.
Take a man like Brian Dempsey, a back-bencher who used to get stopped at Interstate 93 after allegedly ingesting a foul ice dice. After this cipher stopped getting lugged on Mother’s Day, Dempsey was made House chairman of Ways and Means.
His sponsor was majority chief Ronald Mariano, now the House speaker. Mariano was grooming the below-average Dempsey to succeed him as speaker, after which Mariano would turn out to be, you guessed it, a lobbyist.
But there was an issue — Robert DeLeo, who upgraded the ethics of House speaker by solely being listed as an unindicted (slightly than indicted) conspirator within the probation-department scandal, refused to go away.
Finally Dempsey received sick of ready his flip, and he give up to turn out to be … look ahead to it … a lobbyist.
Dempsey reported $600,000 in earnings in each 2020 and 2021.
Now Mariano is almost definitely preparing to take a look at after the midterms. He’ll be 76 on Halloween, sort of late to begin a brand new profession, however I’m going to hazard a guess … lobbyist.
His possible successor? The present chairman of Ways and Means, one Aaron Michlewitz of the North End. He’s received impeccable credentials — he was a yes-man for Salvatore Francis DiMasi.
Do you perceive now why Sal can’t deliver himself to give up the rackets?
Meanwhile, the job of House majority chief has remained vacant for the reason that very vacant Claire Cronin resigned after getting the ambassadorship to Ireland from her fellow airhead, Dementia Joe Biden.
Mike Moran, the veteran payroll patriot from Brighton, would have cherished to have crammed the bulk chief’s slot, which might have technically made him assistant hacko di tutti hacki. But then the dodgy Moran may need turn out to be a viable contender for Speaker in opposition to Sal Jr., I imply, Aaron Michlewitz.
Down the street, although, I predict Michlewitz and Moran discover themselves in the identical line of labor. You guessed it, lobbyist.
And why wouldn’t they? Look on the official 2021 numbers for different ex-solons within the lobbying grift — Bobby Travaglini ($496,154.42), James Vallee ($433,199.53), Michael Costello ($585,000), William Cass ($266,000), Stephen Buonicionti ($131,000) and Dennis Kearney ($121,696.01).
All of them forgotten however not gone. But you understand what they are saying — residing nicely is the perfect revenge. That ought to the motto of all State House lobbyists.
Now you understand why Jailbird Sal DiMasi is so bitter.
But look on the intense aspect, Mr. Speaker. You have one factor none of the remainder of the above payroll patriots have ever had.
An official Bureau of Prisons inmate identification quantity: 27371-038.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”