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Patrick To Help With Boston Olympics Bid, 'But Not For A Fee'

BOSTON (AP) — Former Gov. Deval Patrick has decided to pass on a paid consulting job promoting the city's Olympic bid overseas.

Patrick said Thursday he's planning to take a full-time position soon and will forgo all outside consulting pay, including the $7,500-per-day fee he was to earn for travel on behalf of the Olympic organizing group Boston 2024.

"Because I think the Olympics could be good for the Commonwealth, I will continue to help as and when I can, but not for a fee," Patrick said in brief statement.

Hours earlier Mayor Marty Walsh told Boston Herald Radio he didn't think Patrick should be paid for promoting the Olympic bid. Walsh said he believes former governors should be "ambassadors for Massachusetts."

"I think it would be a good gesture of representing this commonwealth and taking this commonwealth on the world stage — and I don't think they should be getting paid at all," Walsh said.

Walsh, a prominent supporter of the Olympic bid, was asked if he had endorsed Patrick's fee.

"No. Absolutely not," Walsh said.

Patrick's compensation was revealed when Boston 2024, a privately-financed group, disclosed the salaries of its top executives and consultants this month after a request from Walsh.

Six top staffers of the organization earn annual salaries above $100,000, led by chief executive Richard Davey, who served as secretary of transportation under Patrick and is being paid $300,000. Erin Murphy, its chief operating officer and chief bid officer, earns $215,000, while chief administrative officer Joe Rull's salary is $175,000.

Patrick had not done any travel for the group. The former two-term governor, who left office in January, had said earlier he had been retained as a consultant to help promote Boston and Massachusetts as sites for the games to members of the International Olympic Committee.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney, who led the organizing committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has provided advice to Boston 2024 without being paid. Walsh and Patrick are Democrats; Romney is a Republican.

The IOC is expected in 2017 to name a host city for the 2024 summer games. Boston has been selected as the American bid city by the U.S. Olympic Committee and likely will compete with several international entrants, including Rome and Hamburg, Germany.

Murphy had defended the decision to compensate Patrick $7,500 a day for travel.

"Governor Patrick has a passionate voice and unbridled enthusiasm for promoting Boston and Massachusetts to the world and believes the Olympic and Paralympic Games can greatly benefit the Commonwealth," she said when the salaries were disclosed.

Northwind Strategies, a firm run by onetime Patrick political strategist Doug Rubin, is among other consultants listed by Boston 2024 and is being paid $15,000 per month for work on communications, the group said.

Patrick's statement on Thursday did not elaborate on the full-time job he planned to take or when it would begin.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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