Corruption Charges For Ticket Lobbyist

The former speaker of the Massachusetts House, along with an associate who was accused by the state of improperly lobbying on behalf of ticket brokers, has been indicted on corruption charges in a separate case.

Former speaker Salvatore DiMasi, his former associate Richard Vitale and two other men were charged by the U.S. Attorney’s office with steering state software contracts to a Canadian firm, the Boston Herald reported.

Vitale, who previously held positions as DiMasi’s accountant and treasurer, was reportedly paid $60,000 by the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers to lobby for deregulation of the ticket resale industry in 2007. He was not registered as a lobbyist in the state at the time.