Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Late Night Lantigua

I remember when he was elected the Globe beamed with pride because he was the first Latino to win a state mayor's post or some such thing.

"Subpoenas issued in Lantigua case; Campaign finance officials seek club, restaurant data" by Andrea Estes and Scott Allen, Globe Staff / June 7, 2011

State campaign finance officials have subpoenaed billing records from at least six restaurants and clubs in the Lawrence area as part of a burgeoning investigation into the fund-raising practices of Mayor William Lantigua of Lawrence.

The probe by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance follows a Globe report that found that Lantigua has held at least 15 campaign events at restaurants and clubs in the past three years for which he reported no expenses for the food, music, or the hall, potentially representing tens of thousands of dollars in unreported and possibly illegal campaign donations.

The events ranged from a $20-a-ticket buffet at a social club managed by his former campaign treasurer’s family to a reception headlined by Governor Deval Patrick at which guests paid up to $500 to the Lantigua campaign.

Several club and restaurant owners said yesterday that they sent Lantigua’s campaign or his associates a bill for fund-raising events, but could produce no evidence that his campaign ever paid....

--more--"

I'm tired, and it's late.