As part of his meltdown Thursday evening, Tom Reilly said By the way, Chris, you mentioned the whistle-blower law. Six people are under indictment because of that. I wrote that law, OK? And we are implementing that law.
Guess what, Clueless Tom Reilly was a little off on that one. again. Today’s Worcester Telegram and Gazette has the Clueless one’s latest gaffe.
Former staffer blows whistle on Reilly claim
James F. Russell CORRESPONDENT
HARDWICK Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly yesterday recanted his assertion in Thursday nights Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate that he wrote the states whistle-blower law. Mr. Reilly said yesterday that he was referring instead to the states false claims act.
The wheels were set in motion for Mr. Reillys admission when the actual author of the whistle-blower law said he decided to come forward after watching the televised debate.
The former employee, John A. Gatti Jr., 62, of Southbridge, a former staffer in the Attorney Generals Office, is widely credited with writing the whistle-blower legislation and for advocating its eventual passage in the early 1990s, when he was legislative chairman of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers, a public employee labor union. Mr. Gatti worked in the Attorney Generals office from 1997 to 2003 as an industrial inspector before retiring.
Tom Reilly was not a co-sponsor (of the whistle-blower bill), did not sign onto the law, and did not advocate in the Legislature for its passage, Mr. Gatti said in a telephone interview yesterday. I am the one that filed the original legislation; I wrote the law; I am the architect of it. I am the person that put this together.
I was referring to the state false claims act, Mr. Reilly then said. We enforce the whistle-blower act, he added.
Mr. Gabrieli was asked yesterday if he thought Mr. Reilly was referring to the false claims act during Thursdays debate.
Of course not; I said the whistle-blower law, Mr. Gabrieli said. There is no ambiguity on that one.
Questions about public oversight of the Big Dig prompted the discussion on the whistle-blower law at Thursdays debate.
Mr. Gabrieli said yesterday the whistle-blower law obviously is not working here the Big Dig is a striking example. Getting the whistle blown on the Big Dig would be good. There has been a dreadful failure of accountability on that.
I have attached the entire article for your review and comment.
Best,
SSG
If Tom Reilly’s campaign were a band, it could be called “Clueless Tom and the Mistake Prones”
I know he means well. Has he not been getting enough sleep?
After all, of all the Democratic candidates, he’s the only one who currently works for a living. He’s also the only one who has to.
Campaigning is a lot of work.
I’m sorry, but Tom Reilly is not in the office from 9-5 right now – or for the past few months (maybe a full year).
someone blew the whistle on Tom? Oh the irony…