Witness: I Was Told Not To Mention DiMasi In Email
BOSTON (AP) - A former Patrick administration official has testified he doesn't believe a software contract would have been included in a 2007 emergency bond bill if former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi hadn't pressed officials to include it.
David Simas testified in DiMasi's federal corruption trial that the contract was added later to the bill on recommendation of Patrick's then-assistant budget chief Jay Gonzalez.
Earlier Tuesday, a former business partner of software salesman Joseph Lally said he was "chastised" by Lally for using DiMasi's name in an email. Bruce Major said he suspected DiMasi was receiving some of the money he and Lally were paying to DiMasi associate Richard Vitale.
DiMasi, Vitale and Richard McDonough are charged with scheming to funnel kickbacks to DiMasi in exchange for his help pushing through two software contracts.
Lally has pleaded guilty.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
