Murphy alleged that House members have been marginalized, dissent discouraged and decision-making centralized in DeLeo’s inner circle.
This is an updated version of a story posted at 1:29 this afternoon.
![Charles Murphy Robert DeLeo.jpg]()
State Rep. Charles Murphy, left, is seen with House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo.By KYLE CHENEY, MATT MURPHY
and MICHAEL NORTON
BOSTON - Moments after his ouster from House leadership, Rep. Charles Murphy lashed out Tuesday at House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, describing him as an ineffective leader and communicator and accusing him of throttling dissent.
Murphy, who resigned as majority whip at a Democratic caucus moments before DeLeo was prepared to remove him during a closed caucus, offered a blistering critique of DeLeo’s leadership, presenting him with his first identifiable foil since DeLeo battled Rep. John Rogers for the speakership in 2009.
In a letter to DeLeo announcing his resignation from leadership, Murphy alleged that House members have been marginalized, dissent discouraged and decision-making centralized in DeLeo’s inner circle. He also said the DeLeo did not return his telephone call placed before the first news report of Murphy’s possible demotion surfaced, and the two have not spoken since that time.
Murphy called DeLeo’s decision to remove him from his position – which carries a $15,000 stipend – a “disservice” to the House that “reflects poorly on you as a leader.”
“As I stated in today’s caucus, your actions are not all about me. Ultimately, they are about you and the entire House,” Murphy wrote. “They are about how you expect members to act (behave); they are about your inability to effectively communicate a vision and lead; they are about a House of Representatives that has ceded its authority to one person; they are about a paradigm that exists in this House that has to change, a paradigm that all too often results in a top down leadership model where dissent is discouraged, debate is limited, decisions are made by a select few and formal sessions are rare.”
DeLeo’s defenders batted back Murphy’s suggestion that the speaker has been an ineffective leader.
“As a member of the Legislature for a number of terms, I have never seen a more aggressive agenda in my tenure as a rep than what we’ve seen under Speaker Bob DeLeo,” said Rep. Vincent Pedone, D-Worcester, in a telephone interview. “We have tackled issues that have sat on the backburner for decades. For anyone to call into question the work that we’ve done in the House with these major items that have sat for years without action is not looking at the reality of the speaker’s legislative legacy.”
Through an aide, DeLeo declined to comment.
Majority Leader Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, said he “obviously” disagreed with Murphy’s assessment of DeLeo’s leadership capabilities, but also said he never had a problem working with Murphy as a member of the speaker’s leadership team.
“I’ve been here a long time and seen different styles of leadership and I think Speaker DeLeo’s leadership style is as inclusive and open as any,” Mariano said.
Mariano, the second highest ranking member of the House, declined to assess why DeLeo felt it necessary to call members back to Beacon Hill during the recess to make the changes, or what motivated the speaker to move Murphy off his leadership team.
“He felt he had to make a decision and he made it. We come back in three weeks, four weeks and he wants to be ready to go,” Mariano said. The Quincy Democrat, however, also said he had no personal issues with Murphy.
“No, I never had a problem with Charley. I like Charley, as a matter of fact. I think he’s a capable legislator and was a capable chairman of Ways and Means, but it’s not my decision,” Mariano said.
Under DeLeo’s leadership, the House has often met in formal sessions once a week, or less frequently, with members usually advised in advance by DeLeo’s office of which major bills to expect to debate and vote upon. House members under DeLeo’s watch have infrequently launched into extended debates or tried to publicly force action on bills and more commonly have worked behind the scenes to reach consensus on bills and then put them up for votes.
DeLeo less than three years ago elevated Murphy to chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, but a rift developed last year and exploded on Tuesday. DeLeo’s unusual mid-recess move to oust Murphy has created some personal acrimony in the House and contributed to DeLeo’s developing image as a House leader. How Murphy’s discontent with DeLeo will play moving forward is an open question.
“Am I going to be a loud, vocal opponent just for the sake of being heard? No.,” Murphy told a reporter, adding that he planned to continue to do his best to represent his communities and “foster collaborative discourse” between the members.
In addition to Murphy, the House’s current roster also features a pair of former majority leaders – Rep. John Rogers, D-Norwood, and Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin, – who may still have their sights set on moving up some day. DeLeo’s roster of top deputies also includes potential speakers. The interplay between DeLeo’s team, Murphy and rank and file Democrats instantly becomes an issue to watch.
While most members defended DeLeo’s right to surround himself with whomever he sees fits, several Democrats, both those close with the speaker and on the outside of his circle, questioned the timing and the need for such a public display of retaliation.
Murphy told reporters he has had conversations with 80 members about the “future of the House” and plans to continue those conversations. He added, however, that he has no intention to “mount a coup” to push DeLeo out of office. Rather, he said, he simply wants to be well-positioned so that when DeLeo leaves office, he could mount a bid to be the next speaker if he chooses.
“I haven’t the foggiest idea when Bob DeLeo is leaving. Time will tell,” Murphy said.
Asked about the speaker’s plans to remain atop the House through 2016, Murphy invoked the sudden departure of DeLeo’s predecessor Salvatore DiMasi, who insisted he would stay in the House until he suddenly resigned amid a legal cloud.
“Everybody knows this place changes on a dime. Sal DiMasi told us he was not going anywhere, right? And then he resigned.” Murphy said. “I take [DeLeo] at his word. He wants to be here until 2016, that’s fine. Things change.”
“Somebody has to be next,” he continued. “That’s sort of the basis for this whole ousting, is that I had the gall to speak to members about the future and how things may break down the road. At no time have I or will I suggest that Speaker DeLeo’s on his way out or leaving.”
Murphy also reiterated that at no time has he asked members for their votes as a candidate for speaker, or intimated that the various ongoing investigations into patronage at the Probation Department could lead to DeLeo’s indictment.
Pedone said he supported DeLeo’s move to oust Murphy and make a handful of other leadership changes at Tuesday morning’s caucus.
“Every member has the right to express their interest in leading the House. However, every speaker has the right to set up a leadership team that he feels comfortable with moving an agenda without distraction,” he said. “What happened today was Speaker DeLeo pulling together a leadership team that he feels will give him the best ability to move an aggressive agenda forward without any distractions. I was happy to support the makeup of that leadership team.”
Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Pittsfield, said he didn’t necessarily agree with Murphy’s assessment of DeLeo’s leadership, but also questioned the timing of Murphy’s ouster during the traditional recess.
“When we hit the ground in January we can be in full force ready to go forward, especially tackling a difficult budget. I guess if the speaker asked me for my advice, I’d question why we’d have to be here two weeks before Christmas when we’re all on recess and trying to get caught up on our districts,” Pignatelli said.
Pignatelli credited Murphy for not forcing what would have been a contentious, albeit private vote on his removal from leadership, and said he believes Murphy “had the institution’s best interests at hand when he submitted the letter of resignation.”
Asked about Murphy’s scathing criticism of DeLeo’s leadership style, which Murphy had never raised publicly until today, Pignatelli said, “I think that’s an issue between Charley and the speaker.”
Part of Murphy’s beef with DeLeo stems from DeLeo’s behind the scenes efforts to line up support to become speaker while Speaker Salvatore DiMasi held the post. During DiMasi’s recent corruption trial, a witness testified that DiMasi and DeLeo met privately to discuss ways to make DeLeo his successor.
“The reason for today’s meeting was to fire me,” Murphy wrote in his letter. “However, it has not gone unnoticed that many speakers, yourself included, have engaged in the same conduct you accuse me of without being subject to removal.”
After the caucus, DeLeo declined to discuss his motivation for demoting Murphy, saying only that he wanted to make changes in his leadership.
