Economic Collapse

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Massachusetts Democrat hit with 100-page indictment for corruption charges

Our elected officials are supposed to represent and serve their constituents. This includes following certain moral and ethical principles, regardless of their personal desire for fame and fortune. Unfortunately, too often our politicians fail to do so.

On Friday morning, former Massachusetts State Senator Brian Joyce was arrested after a shocking 102-page federal indictment was filed accusing the former senator of racketeering, wire fraud, extortion and money laundering.

The arrest of the former state senator marks a difficult week for the State House Chamber, especially after Senate President Stan Rosenberg took a leave of absence earlier this week after accusations emerged of alleged sexual assault against his husband.

State Corruption
The 102-page federal indictment filed against Joyce reads like a mafia indictment. Brian Joyce, 55, is facing over 100 federal charges of using his seat in the legislature for private gain.

Joyce is being charged with racketeering, wire fraud, extortion and money laundering. According to WBUR, while Joyce was acting in his capacity as a state senator, he accepted a “stream of concealed bribes and kickbacks” worth a reported $1 million, in exchange for his official action on matters before the state Legislature.

The report continued by stating he allegedly exerted pressured on local officials and employed “various methods of concealment, including using a shell company and other entities to launder proceeds from his bribery and kickback schemes.”

According to the indictment, Joyce allegedly received bribes from a Dunkin Donuts franchisee, where he also allegedly received over 500 pounds of coffee in one transaction. Joyce is also alleged to have received kickbacks from an energy brokerage firm.

Joyce pleaded not guilty on Friday. Howard Cooper, Joyce’s attorney, spoke to the press regarding Joyce’s not guilty plea.

“You just heard … former Sen. Joyce declare in a very loud and firm voice in court that he’s innocent of all of these charges,” Cooper said. “I should add that in the last few years it’s been apparent across the country that the federal government has brought a number of cases against public officials which have either gone nowhere, or have been rejected by juries, or highly criticized by courts.”

Greed, Plain and Simple.
Despite Joyce’s not guilty plea, there are those that believe the evidence will result in him being found guilty. FBI Special Agent in Charge Hank Shaw stated: ‘‘We believe Mr. Joyce was greedy, plain and simple.’’

Acting U.S. Attorney William Weinreb stated that Joyce ran his public office as a “criminal enterprise.” Weinreb elaborated:

He had a duty to serve (his constituents) honestly, and he violated that duty by accepting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for his official action.

Systemic Problems in the Senate
Brian Joyce was first elected to his Senate seat in 1998. In 2015, he stepped down from his leadership positions in the Senate amid an ethics probe. In February of 2016, Joyce announced that he would not be seeking reelection. The announcement came days after his law office was raided by federal law enforcement.

The Senate’s top Republican, Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, stated that the indictment against Joyce “details reprehensible acts of criminal behavior.”

The justice system will determine whether it believes Joyce is guilty of these charges or not.
One thing is for certain: until we decide to hold our representatives accountable, we will continue to elect men and women with little to no moral character.

https://www.conservativeinstitute.org/government-corruption/massachusetts-democrat-corruption-charges.htm?utm_campaign=dynamic_campaign&utm_medium=automated&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiAiYWMyYzEyNzktZGRmNi00NGQ1LWI0ODItZjk5OGQ4MDZjZjZiIn0%3D&utm_source=boomtrain