DeLeo Under Fire After Ware Report

BOSTON (CBS) -- House Speaker Robert DeLeo's name is mentioned 41 times in the scathing probation report, but Friday there was no sign of the Speaker at his office at the statehouse, at his district office, or at his home.

The Ware Report states candidates sponsored by politicians had a remarkable success rate in being hired or promoted. Speaker DeLeo sponsored 12 candidates, and was successful in having seven of them 58.4 percent hired or promoted.

The Ware Report also states there was a strong overlap between people sponsored for jobs by lawmakers, and contributors. The report shows of DeLeo's 12 candidates sponsored, six made contributions to him.

DeLeo's top deputy, House Ways and Means Chair Charley Murphy came to the Speaker's defense Friday. He said, "We're going to take some time to digest it and see what we've got."

When asked about the picture the report paints, of corrupt politicians running the statehouse, Murphy responded, "I completely disagree with that premise."

He went on to say, "This report deals with probation. The probation department, it has nothing to do with the statehouse."

When asked about the report's findings that there is statistical evidence of "pay to play," Murphy responded, "Yeah, there's statistical evidence, but that doesn't tell me anything."

The Inspector General, who is undertaking his own report into waste at the Probation Department at the request of the Governor, said the report is historic.

He said, "The report highlighted a practice of legislative requests for jobs, and raised the issue of budget increases have been linked to that."