A Suffolk County grand jury has indicted former probation commissioner John O’Brien on charges that he traded political donations to former state treasurer Timothy P. Cahill in exchange for a job for O’Brien’s wife.
The grand jury did not indict Cahill, who hired O’Brien’s wife and daughter in the weeks and months following the July 2005 fund-raiser at which dozens of probation department employees donated to Cahill’s campaign. But the panel indicted Cahill’s chief of staff at the time, Scott Campbell, who handled personnel matters for Cahill.
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According to sources involved in the probe, investigators hoped Campbell would testify against Cahill, but he so far has not incriminated his former boss.
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I am sorry, but this kind of intolerable corruption, whether the DiMasi version, the O’Brien version, the Cahill version – what happens in the dark, without accountability, creates too much temptation and opportunity for insider dealing, sweetheart deals, and outright corruption.
And I expect that the Casino juggernaut will, in due course, lead to indictments as well.
You may notice that CAHILL isn’t indicted – only O’Brien for paying the bribe.
I expect there is more pending against Cahill, who had patronage opportunities far beyond the Parole Board. Think Lottery, PRIM, pension administration, etc.
I just expect that Democrat AG Martha Coakly is holding off on those indictments until after the elections are safely past. These indictments against O’Brien were actually made last June and are only being unsealed now. Lots more ‘investigation’ will prevent the earlier indictment of Cahill, as it might hurt Democrat reelection chances since legislators running for reelection might be affected. Far better that redistrcting be finished first, that would give them a chance to retire – and after all, who would want to chase after a legislator after he’s retired, just becasue he paid a hack bribe?
Those Feds were so INSENSITIVE to local election cycles when they indicted diMasi! Why, it led to a DOUBLING of Republicans in the House! We have to keep our priorities straight – Democrat hegemony first, honest second.
You’ve all heard me complain about this stuff when it happens but how are we ever going to believe in our leaders when they continue to disappoint us over and over and over…
I’ll also repeat myself by saying part of it stopping is for the rest of our elected officials condemning it and not even attempting to defend it. The “code of silence” which protects O’brien, Cahill, Sal… Needs to be broken.
If the know and don’t come forward then they too should carry some blame.
The day we get headline that says “Elected Official Never Involved in Scandal” except in the context of clearing someone who was thought to have been involved, that’s the day I’ll worry. Until then I subscribe to the theory that we don’t hear about all the good guys for the same reason the media don’t report about planes that land safely at their intended destination.
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power of the speaker of the house and there’s less corruption and patronage.
There must be decades of patronage at probation that was protected by the powers that be. It was used by Petrolati, etc. to reward supporters. Cleaning that up improves things.
DiMasi’s sentence ought to provide some deterrent to corruption.
We also have a state auditor who actually audits. That should also be a help.
There’s a case to be made for things improving even as corruption in the treasurer’s office rears its ugly head. I’m not trying to gloss over this stuff. It’s there and people are (allegedly) guilty. They should be punished to the full extent of the law.
The super-majority of Democrats write, vote and enforce the rules and perogatives. To date, they have not shown any appetite to curb the authority, although they have had dozens of chances. And it’s not like the autocratic system benefits the majority of Democrats, so they must like it.
Democrats pay lip service to transparancy, and then cancel the broadcasts of House sessions.
My rep opposed Tom Finneran on something and was completely frozen out for his felonious tenure. She’ll be getting a call from me because of her last vote affecting teacher unions and the GIC and the pension vote that will come up.
I’ve already got a meeting scheduled with my state senator.
They’d have to be primaried. I wouldn’t vote for their GOP opponent.
Democrats pay lip service to transparancy, and then cancel the broadcasts of House sessions.
BTW – there ARE Democrats who tell Speakers to go to hell. They just aren’t ‘progressives’. Marie Parente comes to mind. She was exiled to a damp basement office, which she immediately demanded be painted lipstick pink. And she got it.