Former Education Commissioner David Driscoll DiMasi told him he hoped the Education Department wouldn’t use another company that caused problems for the state’s court system.
David DriscollBOSTON – A former state education commissioner said Monday that ex-House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi didn’t press him to support a state contract that DiMasi and two associates are accused of steering to a software firm in exchange for kickbacks.
David Driscoll was the first defense witness in the federal corruption trial of DiMasi, Richard McDonough and Richard Vitale.
Driscoll said he spoke with DiMasi only twice in 2006 about the $4.5 million software contract. He said in one conversation, DiMasi didn’t push for Cognos, but said he hoped the Education Department wouldn’t use another company that caused problems for the state’s court system.
In a later meeting, Driscoll said, DiMasi didn’t advocate for Cognos, but told him he supported the department’s technology project. He said DiMasi told him it would be difficult to get approval because of budget cuts.
More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.