NEWBURYPORT — State Rep. Michael Costello said he is "very honored" that embattled House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi will appear at a reception for Costello on Monday evening.
DiMasi has been under fire recently, with Republicans calling for an ethics investigation into his conduct in dealing with a friend who is a lobbyist.
Costello has known DiMasi "since I was a kid," because the speaker and Costello's father, Nicholas, were first elected to the Legislature in the same year, 1978, and had adjacent desks in the House of Representatives Chamber in the Statehouse.
Over the years, Costello said, he has sought DiMasi's advice on decisions, such as whether he should attend law school and whether he should run for a House seat.
DiMasi, who appointed Costello to his current post as chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, has been criticized recently in the Boston press, with stories indicating that he had used his influential position to aid a friend's company seeking a contract with the state.
He also accepted a $250,000 mortgage loan from a friend who has registered as a lobbyist.
"It's not unexpected that the press is going to turn against the speaker, any speaker," Costello said. "They're unable to connect any wrongdoing to him, but they're sensational stories."
"There's no real connection, but there's a perception."
Costello said he suspects that the negative press coverage is rooted in DiMasi's opposition to casino gambling. He said media outlets covet the advertising dollars that would be generated by the three resort casinos proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick but vigorously opposed by DiMasi.
"Casinos would have millions of dollars in advertising," he said. "The only thing standing between the casinos and that ad revenue ... is Sal DiMasi."
DiMasi is firing back at critics who have accused him of ethics violations.
In a letter sent yesterday to representatives, DiMasi called the recent string of allegations "baseless." DiMasi said he was outraged that his reputation had been called into question by news articles and ethics complaints filed by Republicans.
He said he is eager to continue his work.
DiMasi has been increasingly under scrutiny.
Last week, he paid off a $250,000 loan from a close friend, who just registered as a lobbyist. DiMasi got the third mortgage from Richard Vitale, who has been DiMasi's accountant and campaign treasurer, at a relatively low interest rate.
Republicans have questioned DiMasi's relationship with Vitale, who recently worked on a bill on behalf of the state's ticket brokers.
The GOP said that meant Vitale should be registered as a lobbyist, and state law forbids public officials from accepting anything from lobbyists.
On Friday, Vitale registered as a lobbyist, and DiMasi announced he had paid off the loan.
A GOP spokesman said Friday that Vitale's registering as a lobbyist "simply acknowledges what everyone knows."
It's unclear whether the moves will satisfy Secretary of State William Galvin because Vitale's registration didn't cover when he worked on behalf of the ticket brokers.
Galvin said he's investigating. He had warned Vitale to register as a lobbyist or face possible penalties.
Vitale has said through a spokesman that he was a strategist, not a lobbyist, for the ticket brokers.
He was not registered as a lobbyist in 2007, when the House approved a bill deregulating the ticket resale industry. The speaker has said he never spoke to Vitale about the bill.
The May 19 Plum Island Grille reception in support of Costello is from 6 to 8 p.m. Costello said he hopes to show DiMasi some of the local projects that have received state funding, such as the YWCA, which is holding its official reopening on the same day.
According to an e-mail invitation to the event circulated by the Friends of Plum Island, there are three levels of "suggested donation" for people who want to attend: $100 as a "friend," $250 as a "supporter," and $500 as a "sponsor."
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
