Christy Mihos Opens Up About New Book, Personal Turmoil

BOSTON (CBS) – The man who wanted to be Governor of Massachusetts is now fighting charges of assault and battery.

WBZ got a chance to talk with Christy Mihos about his book and about his personal life.

"The culture of corruption in Boston overtook this entire process, you had no independent oversight," says Mihos of the Big Dig.

In his new book, "Rotten to the Core,"  he spells out the reasons the Big Dig went so far over budget and why the state will be paying it off for years to come.

Mihos served on the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority when the Big Dig was under construction. He said he tried raising red flags when the project was growing from a couple billion to a whole lot more.

He says, "It was sold to the American taxpayer as a 2.3 billion dollar project and it's metastasized because of a number of issues to a 24.3 billion dollar project."

But his book comes out at a time of personal turmoil. He was recently charged with assault and battery for allegedly hitting his wife.

He denies the claim.

The charges come as he's going through a bitter divorce following charges he spent thousands of dollars on prostitutes.

"I'm in a tough spot," says Mihos. "We were an extremely close family for decades, and I hope things happen in the future that it's positive, and that's what I pray for."

WBZ-TV's Jonathan Elias asked Mihos who was responsible for the situation he's in right now.

"You're looking at him," Mihos responded. "Absolutely."

He built a successful convenience store business then sold it before he ran for governor.

He had a family and was married nearly 40 years. Now his lawyers say he has $7,000 to his name.

"My life has been, you know, 99 percent positive and I look to get there again," he says.