Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Culture of Corruption: Mayor,( RNC Delegate) Arrested for Extortion

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The mayor of Chicopee was arrested Tuesday, charged a week before Election Day with extorting $10,000 in campaign contributions, the FBI said.

Mayor Richard Goyette, 36, accepted two illegal campaign contributions of $5,000 each, said the FBI's Michael O'Reilly. By law, candidates are allowed to accept a maximum of $500 per donor.

Goyette, who was in federal custody and expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon, is running for a second term in next week's election. The FBI said the violations occurred during current campaign.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Welch said Goyette got the contributions from two business owners in exchange for favors, but he would not comment further.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

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From a USA Today piece during the RNC convention:

Members of the (MA) delegation hope to enjoy outlaw celebrity status here. “They should be showcasing us,” says Richard Goyette, mayor of Chicopee, Mass. To encourage that, Massachusetts GOP Chairman Darrell Crate distributed bright red T-shirts with a cheeky “John Who?” logo. The delegates plan to wear them to the convention one night this week.



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