Globe report points to apathy about conflicts of interest, wrongdoing
By Josh Resnek
Without hyping conspiracy theories or becoming mired in he said she said anecdotal Everett accusations about public officials using their influence to better themselves, the Globe story Sunday explored Everett city hall’s conflicts of interest, favoritism, retaliation, racism, sexism and municipal corruption.
The Globe story was a salad mix of claims those outside the city will likely consider fantastic and unbelievable while those who live here, many of them who read the story, will say who cares? Nothing is going to change.
A trial lawyer with a great deal of Everett experience told the Leader Herald: “I liked the article. Very much on the corruption vibe, not the “he’s a bad guy” vibe. The Globe dispassionately discusses the Corey Street deal. The reporter did a nice job. Really well researched and gave the mayor and Antonelli ample opportunity to respond…and they did. The Globe used their words to passively aggressively reinforce the theme of the story.”
Indeed.
The story marked the moment the landscaper, snow remover, street digger and developer Greg Antonelli was revealed as a king pin of sorts with the mayor in his dominance over the city with city hall contracts large and small that were reported to be in the $8M range last year.
Antonelli told the Globe he has no friends in Everett or at Everett City Hall.
That is not correct entirely.
He has one friend, colleague and close associate in the city – and that’s the mayor, and has been for 12 years.
Antonelli claims not to speak with the mayor but speaks with him all the time.
Antonelli is the city’s chief contractor. He makes no bones about it.
He claims there is nothing illegal about him doing so much contracting for the city.
The Attorney General’s office has a problem with a street digging/pipe replacement job he did a few years back.
The AG’s office is allegedly prosecuting a law suit against Antonelli for not properly removing and storing asbestos taken out of the ground. We printed that story months ago.
To date, we’ve not heard a word from the DEP or the Attorney General’s office about the law suit.
The Globe connected Antonelli with former Councilor and now School Committeeman Mike McLaughlin.
McLaughlin works for Antonelli. He lives in an Antonelli apartment house.
In 2021-2022 McLaughlin has been connected to the mayor at the hip, and especially so when the mayor was trying to take over the school committee as the Globe reported – as the Leader Herald has reported long before the Globe came here to take a closer look at how the city runs.
McLaughlin told the Globe no one tells him what to do – that is – we believe, unless it is the mayor.
Then there are the Antonellis – Greg, his wife Caryn who works as an Election Commissioner, his brother Christopher who lives in Southeast Asia, and another brother who is chair of the licensing commission.