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Former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran was indicted by a grand jury for perjury and obstruction of justice. It stems from Finneran’s testimony in a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups that contend that redistricting in the state undermined minority representation and protected white incumbents. Former House Speaker Thomas Finneran faces perjury charges. \/
Grand jury indicts Finneran
3 counts of perjury, 1 of obstructing justice A federal grand jury today brought a criminal indictment against former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran for allegedly lying in a civil case on legislative redistricting. Finneran is charged with three counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. The indictment follows a yearlong investigation into the Mattapan Democrat, who dominated state politics for nearly a decade until his departure last year. The charges from the Boston grand jury involve Finneran's testimony under oath after civil rights groups filed a federal suit alleging that a House redistricting plan protected white incumbents and diluted the clout of minority voters. The charges could lead to jail time and the loss of Finneran's license to practice law if he's convicted. The first perjury count alleges that Finneran lied on the stand Nov. 14, 2003 during the civil trial, when he was still speaker, and testified that he had no knowledge of the contents of the redistricting plan until it was made public on Oct. 18, 2001. The second perjury count alleges that Finneran also lied when he testified that he didn't discuss the redistricting plan as it related to his district in advance with one of his top lieutenants, the House chairman of the Joint Committee on Redistricting, Representative Thomas M. Petrolati. The third perjury charge accuses Finneran of lying during a March 28, 2003 deposition when questioned by lawyers in the civil case about documents they were seeking. Finneran allgedly said he did not have the documents the lawyers were seeking -- including calendars relating to campaign events -- when did actually have them. Finneran is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly attempting to thwart a federal investigation by lying durign the civil trial and in his deposition. Finneran, who served as speaker for eight years before resigning last fall to become president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, has not been arrested, and instead will be summonsed into US District Court in Boston for arraignment on the charges. Today's charges followed a yearlong probe by the FBI which was triggered after a three-judge panel threw out the redistricting map and issued an opinion that expressed skepticism about Finneran's truthfulness. Later this afternoon, Finneran issued the following statement concerning the indictments: "26 years of unblemished public service and unquestioned integrity speaks volumes. So do the calls, cards, and comments from state and federal prosecutors, past and present, judges, attorneys, business leaders and citizens of all stripes regarding the questionable motives and machinations of the US attorney's office. My response to the charges brought against me today is NOT GUILTY. My family and I look forward to my day in court. Until then, I will have no further comment." Boston Globe ~ Shelley Murphy ** Grand jury indicts Finneran
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