It’s easy when it’s cash stuffed between a state senator’s breasts or checks funneled through a law partner directly into the pockets of the speaker of the House.
It’s harder — as it should be — when a case for political corruption consists of a feel-good lottery ad campaign that cost taxpayers $1.5 million but never mentions the name of the state treasurer who ordered it up. Those are the underlying facts in the case that Attorney General Martha Coakley brought against former state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill.
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I am a fan of Martha Coakley because I believe she takes her job seriously. This was a unique case. I have to commend Tim Cahill for taking the high road after this agreement was reached with prosecutors.
@CrankyMass : Agreed!
Cranky Mass, Oh brother are you employed by the state (somehow) or what? Laws against politicians in this state are a JOKE, you can make all the laws that you want but when you have an AG who looks the other way because of her lineage AND her loyalty to the "machine", stuff happens! How many times do we have to wake up to scandals in this corrupt state by reading them in the newspapers? Isn't it Martha's job to ferret out this stuff? I guess not, I literally don't know WHAT she does with her million dollar payroll other than try to garner headlines about things that taxpayers really don't care about (yeah yeah, don't start about the millions that she get's from businesses around here for breaking laws), THAT'S WHAT SHE GET'S PAID TO DO! What taxpayers really want is for her (as the top cop) to poke her nose into the "machine" that is the Mass. democratic, all encompassing MONARCHY.
Cahill had no choice but to sign that agreement. He is already in debt with a mountain of legal bills to fight Coakley's charges. To fight on would have made his family's financial situation even worse. A jury verdict in his favor would have been cold comfort. The problem is Coakley made him say that he "knew or should have known" that these ads (that neither his name or face appeared in) would help his political career. SO: when AG Coakley appears and speaks on public service tv spots, OR when SoS Galvin appears and speaks on tv spots and has his face on brochures in every post office, OR when Treas. Grossman's name appears in lost property ads, OR when the Governor's name appears on road signs across the state....should they be charged with using tax dollars that pay for all of these for personal political advancement??? When you are in office and want to run for reelection or higher office, EVERYTHING you can get your name and face on advances your career...at taxpayer's expense. AND THEY ALL KNOW THIS!
Prosecutorial Overeach? How about misconduct! Unique interpretation of the law, used the power and tax payer money of the state to break what appears to be a good family man. Martha is scum. Please Martha take your smug little face and retire to some job where you won't do any harm.
Tim Cahill was a corrupt politician that misused his position as Treasurer giving a job to that other corrupt politician O'Brien's wife. The jury had all the evidence to convict and find Cahill guilty and some bleeding hearts on that jury felt sorry for Cahill. Cahill got off easy.
who was trying to advance thier career? Was it Cahill or more likely was it was Coakley?
who was trying to advance thier career? Was it Cahill or more likely was it Coakley?
Joan Venocchi, This is rubbish! Prosecution of a political personality for using the fruits of his or her office may be a laudible idea, however the obvious gray area of this effort makes it nearly impossible and totally, totally open to subjective interpretation by someone like Martha Coakley. This is a dangerous precedent. As long as you support the pol using his or her office you will deny their culpability. As long as you oppose the pol, you will advocate these trumped up charges.
Shame on Coakley and shame on you for playing the same game.
The last thing we need is to have that slug Martha win the democratic nomination for governor and take on Brown, or anyone else. Her senatorial campaign was as bad as it gets. Most dems will hold their noses and keep voting for her for Attorney General, just to keep her from screwing up more important races.