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DiMasi Friend Refuses To Attend Hearing

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Jun 5, 2008 6:43 am US/Eastern

DiMasi Friend Refuses To Attend Hearing

Reporting
Kate Merrill
BOSTON (AP) ― A close friend of House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi is refusing to attend a hearing before the Secretary of State to answer questions about allegations that he acted as a lobbyist for a ticket brokers group.

A lawyer for Richard Vitale wrote to Secretary of State William Galvin's office, saying Vitale would not attend today's scheduled hearing to answer questions under oath because he thinks Galvin is overreaching his authority.

Galvin says he disagrees with Vitale and his lawyer, Richard Egbert.

Vitale last year helped promote legislation to lift restrictions on price markups by ticket brokers. The bill passed the House with DiMasi's support, but stalled in the Senate. Vitale's company was paid $60,000 by the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers.

DiMasi has said he never spoke to Vitale about the bill.

Vitale denied acting as a lobbyist, instead insisting he was a "strategist."

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