State Representative Thomas Petrolati

1 state representative

1.1 sexual harassment allegations
1.2 redistricting committee
1.3 sale of insurance policies
1.4 ticket brokers
1.5 patronage scandal

state representative

in april 1996 petrolati helped thomas finneran build coalition of republicans , conservative democrats defeat house majority leader richard a. voke speakership. finneran rewarded him leadership position.

from 2001 2005 petrolati house assistant majority whip , 2005 2011 speaker pro tempore.

sexual harassment allegations

in 1996, jill gagne program director @ ludlow boys & girls club, filed complaint massachusetts commission against discrimination claiming fired after told supervisors sexually harassed petrolati, honorary board member of club, , complained advances.

according gagne, petrolati sent flowers notes , called on period of 6 weeks in 1996. said conversations “sexual” in nature , tried persuade meet him in boston.

the state commission found gagne had been fired inappropriate actions , comments , dismissed complaint against petrolati.

during state s investigation patronage in state’s probation department, revealed petrolati may have used influence @ probation in attempt pressure key witness in case.

redistricting committee

in 2001, petrolati chairman of joint special committee on redistricting, created revise state’s legislative boundaries. committee s redrawn districts struck down after panel of judges found racially biased in order protect incumbents.

petrolati later testified against speaker thomas finneran after finneran charged obstruction of justice in legislative redistricting case.

during lawsuit, petrolati portrayed himself disengaged redistricting process. did not take notes @ public hearings, did not communicate advocates, , did not know how use computer software drew redistricting maps.

sale of insurance policies

from 2002 2004, petrolati sold insurance policies legislative colleagues, state employees, , private businesses without license without disclosing money earned these sales state ethics commission or secretary of commonwealth. in 2004, petrolati disclosed wife “shareholder/director’’ of choice insurance agency. however, according boston globe, multiple sources first-hand knowledge of business state petrolati, not wife, sold policies.

ticket brokers

an investigation state attorney general s office found petrolati main person richard vitale, house speaker salvatore dimasi s accountant, relied on during illegal campaign lobby legislation benefiting ticket brokers. petrolati never charged in case.

patronage scandal

petrolati did not seek re-appointment speaker pro tempore position after independent counsel’s report revealed had gotten many of supporters jobs in massachusetts probation department, including wife, husband of chief of staff, former legislative aide, , 2 of aide s nieces.

in 2010, report boston globe revealed more 100 probation department employees had made political contributions petrolati, including 19 of 25 employees run probation offices between worcester , new york border.