State Contracts - Gov - Patrick - Businessweek

By BOB SALSBERG

Story Tools

digg this

Gov. Deval Patrick testified Friday of which original Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi hard pressed him that will say yes to your computer software contract this prosecutors profess had been a part of a DiMasi kickback scheme.

Patrick testified Friday this by carrying out a breakfast time conference on the Four Seasons Hotel in 2007 DiMasi shared with him: "That long term contract is essential to me."

Patrick mentioned DiMasi was mentioning a new operation direction computer software post paid with the company Cognos, nevertheless by no means pointed out Cognos by means of name. DiMasi in addition to two co-defendants will be facing federal corruption charges.

Patrick furthermore testified that after The Boston Globe claimed inside 2008 of which the point out Inspector General's company ended up being checking out the Cognos contract, a strong angry DiMasi challenged him and charged the actual governor's workforce with leaky the storyline in order to the newspaper.

"He seemed to be angry along with annoyed in regards to the post and also he or she thought your team possessed leaked information for the Globe around the inspector general's review," Patrick claimed around court.

Prosecutors assert that will DiMasi and co-defendants Richard McDonough as well as Richard Vitale schemed to work with DiMasi's clout seeing that speaker to be able to push two state deals that will Cognos in exchange intended for kickbacks.

Earlier Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf waived a protection movement in order to boxing techinque testimony by the previous prime Patrick official.

Defense lawyers known as Secretary involving Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan's testimony "extremely prejudicial."

Kirwan testified Thursday that will the girl couldn't possess signed a contract with Cognos in the event that she'd identified DiMasi received capital this company paid in order to his or her law companion or maybe in which DiMasi's friend as well as co-defendant, Richard Vitale, had also been paid $500,000.

On Friday, prosecutors called an e-mail Kirwan had delivered to yet another management endorsed in August 2007 soon after your lover signed away to the contract. The $13 million post paid was cost-free involving two assert contracts Cognos picked up in 2006 and 2007.

"Everyone is happy. Hope the particular huge gentleman down the actual area can be too," Kirwan wrote.

Kirwan testified how the "big guy" referred for you to DiMasi.