BOSTON (CBS) – Before heading to federal prison, former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi is taking a few parting shots at the casino legislation that passed last week.

DiMasi, who fought against casinos during his tenure as House Speaker, noted the “irony” that the bill passed right before his sentence began.

“The irony that the casino culture prevailed after so many years just one week before I traveled to Kentucky is certainly not lost on me,” he said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Read: DiMasi’s Full Statement (.pdf)

According to The State House News Service, DiMasi’s wife previously claimed that her husband’s opposition to casino legislation led to his downfall.

DiMasi, who was sentenced to eight years in prison on corruption charges, was due to report to prison by 12 p.m. on Nov. 30.

In the statement released a day earlier, DiMasi went on to reassert his innocence and vowed to continue his legal fight.

“I remain outraged that my reputation, my integrity and my good name have been sullied by this process,” he said. I will do everything in my power to earn back those things in the coming years,” the statement read.