Tag: Mayor Carlo DeMaria

Indictment underscores importance of mayor coming clean re: legal expenses

By Josh Resnek

The city council’s attempt to have Mayor Carlo DeMaria reveal why he has spent more than $200,000 from his campaign finance account for criminal attorneys was underscored Tuesday afternoon by the Federal indictment of Representative David Nangle for misusing his campaign fund account for personal expenses.

Persistent questioning of the mayor’s use of campaign funds for criminal attorneys, and his refusal to be forthcoming about the nature of the representation and whether or not it is for personal reasons – and if not – for what reason – is now coming to a head.

A review of the mayor’s expenditures is apparently being conducted by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Five members of the city council are adamant that the mayor reveal what the legal expenses are for.

During the first week of March, the mayor has been asked to appear before the city council committee of the whole to answer such questions. Councilors Mike Marchese, Gerly Adrien, Fred Capone, and Mike McLaughlin are insistent that the mayor needs to answer for his legal expenses and what they are for.

“It’s time for the mayor to come clean,” Marchese told the Leader Herald.

In addition, a local resident has asked for the city to reveal what the mayor’s proffer with the US Attorney’s office is all about.

Continue reading Indictment underscores importance of mayor coming clean re: legal expenses

Council asks mayor to appear at hearing to explain legal expenses

By Josh Resnek

It is the big question hovering about the mayor’s daily activities that won’t go away.

Why is he continuing to pay criminal attorneys to represent him?

This question was raised at Monday evening’s council meeting, again.

The mayor had been asked to appear by Councilors Mike Marchese and Mike McLaughlin to answer about the need for criminal attorneys.

However, the mayor did not appear to explain himself.

“My colleagues, all of us need to know. What are the payments to attorneys for being paid from the mayor’s campaign account,” Councilor Marchese asked his colleagues.

“Are they for personal issues not allowed by the law? If this is the case, then he needs to tell us what it is, please,” he added.

Marchese suggested ordering the mayor to appear at a full committee hearing on the first Monday in March.

The motion passed unanimously by a voice vote.

Continue reading Council asks mayor to appear at hearing to explain legal expenses

Mayor’s absence shameful

When Senator Ed Markey came to Everett last Sunday early on the day of the Super Bowl, hundreds of Haitian residents crowded into the church on the parkway to hear what he had to say.

Missing from the great crowd on hand to kick -off Black History Month was our mayor, Carlo DeMaria.

He should have been there out of respect for Senator Markey at the very least and out of respect to the city’s large Haitian population whose representation at the event was something to behold.

The mayor might have attended to show respect to the city’s first black woman city councilor at large Gerly Adrien. Adrien brought Markey to the gathering, which she publicly announced earlier in the week.

Perhaps the mayor stayed away because he quite frankly doesn’t care about one of the city’s largest minority groups as much as attending whatever Super Bowl Sunday affair he graced with his presence.

Maybe he stayed at home.

Maybe he was out of town.

Couldn’t he have sent his chief of staff to represent as he tends to do so often?

Continue reading Mayor’s absence shameful

Mayor must reveal what he pays criminal lawyers to do for him

By Josh Resnek

Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s recent payments to criminal attorneys are being questioned by three members of the city council who are demanding that he reveal what the payments are for.

Since 2017, the mayor has reported spending nearly $200,000 for criminal legal representation with the international law firm, Greenberg Traurig and with a former criminal attorney now a Superior Court judge here in Massachusetts.

The council is questioning what the payments are for, exactly. Councilor Mike Marchese has filed a motion requiring the mayor to appear at the next meeting of the city council to tell all.

 Two of his colleagues Councilor Mike McLaughlin and At-Large Councilor Gerly Adrien are asking the same pointed question, with one of them, Councilor McLaughlin, also demanding the mayor’s presence before the city council to explain himself.

“If he’s not lying to us on his political campaign filings, then he has nothing to hide,” Marchese said.

Continue reading Mayor must reveal what he pays criminal lawyers to do for him

Can we do better than this?

The public park now being redone in North Everett is a glaring example of precious city money being spent – hundreds of thousands of dollars – to reconstruct the park which was already one of the loveliest public parks in the city.

Manyresidentshaveaskeduswhytheparkwasbeingredonewhenit gave the appearance of a park not at all in need of any improvements. The recent redo just a few years back of the park by GTA was flawless. The gazebo built by GTA is perhaps the most brilliant piece of period

style exterior construction in the city today.
Some have suggested this present redo of the park, (not by GTA) by

a contractor friend of the mayor’s, is what made the project possible. This sounds very likely but we have no proof of this.
The only proof we have about the park being redone – new and wider

sidewalks, new granite, landscaping, possibly a few benches, some paving and whatever else was planned for – is that it didn’t appear to need to be redone.

What has been gained?

Continue reading Can we do better than this?