DiMasi Associate Vitale Pleads Guilty

BOSTON (AP) -- A close associate of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has pleaded guilty to violating state lobbying and campaign finance laws.

Richard Vitale entered his plea Friday in state court to seven counts accusing him of failing to register as a lobbyist for ticket brokers trying to change the state's anti-scalping laws. Under the so-called Alford doctrine, he acknowledged breaking the law, but said it was unintentional.

Vitale was fined $32,000 and given two years' probation. He's also banned from lobbying the Legislature for three years. He agreed to repay the $60,000 he received from the ticket brokers.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports

The anti-scalping bill died in the Senate in 2007. Vitale was acquitted in June of conspiracy and other charges in an unrelated federal corruption case in which DiMasi and lobbyist Richard McDonough were convicted.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)