DiMasi Law Associate Testifies In Corruption Trial
BOSTON (AP) -- A business associate of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has testified in federal court that he was concerned that he was receiving payments from a software company even though he was doing no work for them.
The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that Steven Topazio, a former law associate of DiMasi, also testified that the former speaker told him that "it's about time that we started getting business like this."
Prosecutors allege the software company Cognos paid Topazio $5,000 a month, and that Topazio turned $4,000 over to DiMasi as a "referral fee" as part of a kickback scheme.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports.
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Topazio has not been charged and is testifying under immunity.
DiMasi is accused of steering two lucrative contracts to Cognos in exchange for $65,000 in illegal payments. Two co-defendants are also charged.
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