Cahill, lottery, fund raising... I can't make this stuff up
State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill is facing a state ethics inquiry for awarding a $21 million state lottery contract to a company that was secretly paying Cahill's close friend and fund-raiser, Thomas F. Kelly, tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, according to multiple people who have been briefed on the investigation.
Investigators from the state Ethics Commission interviewed Cahill this month about his decision in 2004 to award the contract to Scientific Games to make scratch tickets, despite a recommendation from his own staff that Scientific Games receive less state work, said two of the people who have been briefed. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity because Ethics Commission investigations are confidential.
The investigators also have collected e-mails, campaign finance reports, and other documents, the people said. The investigation follows a Globe story in August that detailed Kelly's work on behalf of Scientific Games and Kelly's relationship to Cahill.
Cahill's office did not respond to a request for comment. The treasurer, addressing the issue in the past through a spokeswoman, has said that he was unaware of Kelly's financial relationship with Scientific Games.
Kelly also declined to comment. The Ethics Commission, which makes it a practice not to confirm or comment on investigations, also would not comment.
The commission's inquiry comes at a politically sensitive time for the Democratic treasurer, who is considering running for governor next year, either as a Democratic primary challenger to Deval Patrick or as an unaffiliated candidate in the general election.
Ethics Commission investigators have asked at least one person about Cahill's level of knowledge of Kelly's financial relationship with Scientific Games and about political contributions the company's executives made to the treasure
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 9:44 AM
11 Comments
11 Comments:
Hey, when the head guy is unethical (that being Patrick) why would you expect the underlings to be any different? THe boss sets the example, and if his behavior is to line his won pockets, and those of his friends, then the people who work for him get the message not only is this ok, but it is the way we do things, so they will do it to. I would hope this ends any plans Cahill had to run. He is no better than the rest of the trash!
This is like Days of Our Lives, MA. We are living a soap opera here! These people are so bad you couldn't make them up!
I almost avoid coming here to read this blog now because I am afraid of what new horror story their will be about MA politics. But I do want to be informed, and this site is a great way for me to be informed, so I don’t avoid it. But boy oh boy, I just continue to be amazed at the arrogance of Ma politicians. I wonder if it is like this in other states? I know Chicago is corrupt, but what about the states around us, CT, RI, NH, VT. Maybe we could have the government officials from one of these neighboring states run some training for the MA people, especially on ethics. They sure could use it!
I moved to Framingham from the mid-west 27 yrs ago. I have always found the people in this area to be honest, caring, hard working, good people. But I got to tell you, if you just read the papers about all the corrupt political doings in this state, you would assume MA was a state full of gangsters. Seems a little odd that a state with so many good people has so many bad politicians, don’t you think? I am sure we outnumber them (we being the good guys, they being the current politicians). I think Jim has a great idea about taking back our state house at the next election. But honestly, we should be approaching people now to run all over the state if we hope to be successful at doing that.
Hey, how about posting something with a positive tone for a change. Something about a politician doing something good. Let’s see, there must be a politician who has donated money to the fund for the Free Concert’s on the Common…no? Ok, how about spending one day a week at the Salvation Army in the soup kitchen…no on that too? Ok, how about one who organizes a clean up crew to work on some of the foreclosed homes in town to keep them from getting completely run down…no? I’m running out of ideas here. I know, there must be a politician who shoveled the driveway of his neighbors or took someone’s trash barrells in…not even that? Seriously, I think we would all be hard pressed to come up with one good, genuine, selfless act done by any of the politicians from Framingham. What does that say about us for electing them?
Who can fire this guy if he did do this and it can be proved? Only the governor, right? What do you think that chances are of that happening since he does the same types of things himself? We are screwed in this state. No one things they have to answer to anyone. So much for the belief in one god, they all think they are gods at the State House.
Maybe they think if they just keep doing this stuff, we will get so use to it we will begin to see this as the norm instead of as the travesty it is. Let’s hope they are wrong about that, because they sure are. What happened to the ethics that were the norms when I was a kid? Did this always exist, or is this just a new generations of me, me, me, me first people? Whatever, hope they all go away real soon so we can get people in there who will go back to the business of governing instead of pading their pockets, and the pockets of their friends.
I saw Cahill on FOx news yesterday morning, and really does not see anything wrong with this, says he welcomes the ethics investigation. That tells me two things, first, he is stupid so no chance I will vote for him for Governor, and second, our ethics committee investigators must either be stupid also, or in his pocket, because if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck and smells like a duck, then it is a duck. This walks, talks and smells unethical, so if they find nothing wrong with what he did, then they are just as unethical as he is.
We can not possible get rid of every single elected official, we have to have a few who know what the constitution requires and how to deal with the red tape from the Federal Government. So, how about we starting looking for those few good men who we will all support to make sure they stay in office, and then we work hard to replace every single one of the corrupt and/or useless ones. I think it is time to say enough is enough, don't you?
from the globe today in writing about the proposed ethics reform:
It fails to close a legal loophole that allows public officials to accept gifts of unlimited value from people with potential business before the Legislature. Now it's open season, unless there is a clear link that the gift was made to reward or influence a specific official act. And the bill fails to give state law enforcement officials the necessary power to use surveillance wires in corruption probes.
By fixing these two deficiencies - especially the gift loophole - lawmakers can show they are serious about addressing the ethics deficit on Beacon Hill.
So there you have it... it's all up to them, to do the right thing. Will they? My money is on they won't.
I'm in touch with a new group headed by Dana Landers, of Clean Sweep. His idea, is similar if not the same as mine... .replacing a majority of the reps at the State House in 2010. And yes, there are a few perhaps 10 to 15% of the reps and Senate who have shown a respect for the voters and should stay, but the rest, as I see it, have to be replaced. I'll keep everyone appraised of the talks I have with Mr. Landers.
hope you work with this Landers guy. We need people like you, well informed, honest, hard working people who live the life the rest of us live, and who will listen to what the constituents want. But it needs to be an organized, well publicized attempt to unseat these people if you are serious about winning. Deciding to run as a write-in 2 weeks before the election just is not going to be successful. People have to have the opportunity to vette you if you want their vote. You want my vote, now you could have it. In November, I knew nothing about you and did not have the time to find out.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home