Legal Payments to Criminal Attorneys Raise Questions Among Supporters
By Josh Resnek
The mayor’s fundraiser last week at Anthony’s in Malden attracted a crowd estimated at 200, according to those who attended the event.
“The number was probably lower than that,” a city official who attended the time told us.
“There were probably 150 city employees among the crowd,” he added.
The mayor invited all city officials with complimentary tickets.
Five attended; Councillors Richard Dell Isola, Rosa DeFlorio, Peter Napolitano, Anthony DiPierro and John Hanlon.
He also called a number of private businesspeople with commercial interests in the city urging them to attend, according to one of those called but who chose not to attend.
Everett’s representative in the General Court delivered the feature speech of the evening.
The mayor also spoke. He thanked those who came with a short speech detailing how Everett is today a better place than ever before.
No one in the mayor’s camp will speak with the Leader Herald on the Record.
Off the record, it was agreed by those who speak with us: the fundraiser was not as robust as in years past.
“The energy just isn’t the same anymore. Everything is getting a bit old for everyone. How long can we be expected to support this guy and to thank him for allowing us to work for the city of Everett?” said a longterm city employee, who obviously wished to remain unnamed.
It is estimated the mayor raised slightly north of $60,000 – probably not quite enough to meet the expense of his criminal attorneys, according to those who claim to know.
Those mounting bills are estimated at $60,000 for the past 6 months.
In the period 2017- June, 2018, the mayor paid out about $130,000 from his campaign account to criminal attorneys representing him, according to published reports in the Leader Herald.
The Leader Herald reported in May, 2018 the mayor had paid an international law rm located in Boston, Greenberg Traurig, $100,000 in 2017-2018 for representation.
In addition, the mayor paid $30,000 in 2017 to a Newburyport based criminal attorney now a judge of the Superior Court.
The mayor will not reveal why he is paying criminal attorneys, although it is believed he needs protection because of a number of investigations being conducted by the FBI.
The FBI refuses to comment on investigations and whether or not they are ongoing.