Key Witness Ends DiMasi Corruption Trial Testimony
BOSTON (AP) -- A key witness in the federal corruption trial of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore Dimasi has wrapped up his testimony.
Defense attorneys for DiMasi and his two co-defendants, Richard McDonough and Richard Vitale, again tried to portray former software salesman Joseph Lally as a liar, tax cheat and compulsive gambler whose testimony could not be trusted.
Prosecutors have used the testimony of Lally, who pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the others in exchange for a possible lighter prison sentence, to give an insider's view of the alleged scheme.
Prosecutors argue that McDonough, Vitale and Lally schemed to use DiMasi's Statehouse clout to steer two state contracts worth a combined $17.5 million to the software firm Cognos in exchange for kickbacks. DiMasi allegedly pocketed $65,000.
The trial is expected to resume next week.
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