See: DiMasi's Leftovers
"DeLeo's aide goes before US panel; Grand jury hears of Cognos bids; Lawmaker is also said to testify" by Andrea Estes, Globe Staff | April 16, 2009
House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo's chief of staff and a state representative with close ties to former speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi testified this week before a federal grand jury investigating the awarding of two multimillion-dollar state contracts to the software company
James Eisenberg, who has served as DeLeo's chief of staff since the speaker chaired the House Ways and Means Committee, appeared before the grand jury on Tuesday after being subpoenaed by federal authorities. According to DeLeo spokesman Seth Gitell, Eisenberg was told by his lawyers that he is not a target of the probe and was subpoenaed primarily to produce records from the Ways and Means Committee.
Representative Lida Harkins, the assistant majority leader under DiMasi, also appeared before the grand jury, according to officials who did not want to be identified because the grand jury's proceedings are confidential. Harkins, who represents Needham, declined to comment yesterday. Her name was mentioned in a state education department e-mail, obtained by the Globe last fall, which indicated she had contacted the department about a Cognos contract on DiMasi's behalf ....
Investigators have been looking into why Cognos or its independent sales agent, Joseph Lally, paid huge sums of money to close friends and business associates of DiMasi as the company was seeking the two contracts. According to an investigation by state Inspector General Gregory Sullivan, Cognos paid DiMasi's law associate Steven Topazio a $5,000-a-month retainer for two years. Lally paid DiMasi's former accountant Richard Vitale $600,000 over two years and $300,000 to Cognos's lobbyist and DiMasi's friend, Richard McDonough.
Both Cognos deals - a $13 million contract for statewide performance management software and a $4.5 million contract for the education department - required funding by the House Ways and Means Committee....
Translation: DeLeo had to have been in on it; it was his committee!
The state education department had previously awarded Cognos a contract for a $1 million pilot program in October 2005. The additional money was needed to fund an expansion of the data warehouse project, which collects and tracks data about students, teachers, and finances across the state.
Yeah, the state needed to centralize all those things for more control.
Also see: State School Snoopers
That funding came through an amendment filed in April 2006 by then-Representative Robert Coughlin. DiMasi told fellow legislators the amendment was "a priority," according to a state official with direct knowledge of the budget negotiations....
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