Boston Mayor's Aides Return to Work, Paid Leave Costs Taxpayers $410K

BOSTON (CBS) - Two high-ranking aides to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh have quietly returned to their jobs at City Hall.

The development comes after a judge dismissed the high-profile extortion case against Timothy Sullivan and Kenneth Brissette.

Federal prosecutors had accused the pair of threatening to withhold permits if Boston Calling concert organizers did not hire union workers.

However, the case fell apart after the federal judge said the government would have to prove the men personally benefited from the alleged extortion. Prosecutors argued that interpretation of the corruption statute was too restrictive, while admitting they did not have the evidence to meet that legal threshold.

The city employees had been sitting on the sidelines while collecting paychecks for nearly two years.

Sullivan and Brissette's paid leave cost taxpayers more than $410,000, according to payroll records obtained by the i-Team's Ryan Kath.

A city spokesperson confirmed they returned to City Hall earlier this week.