Thomas Petrolati
Encyclopedia
Thomas M. "Tommy" Petrolati (born March 16, 1957 in Springfield, Massachusetts
) is an American politician who represents the 7th Hampden District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
and was a member of the Ludlow, Massachusetts
Board of Selectman from 1984–1986.
. After graduating from Western New England College
, he returned to Ludlow where he worked for State Senator Martin Reilly and served on the town's Board of Selectman. In 1986, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
build a coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats to defeat House Majority Leader Richard A. Voke for the speakership. Finneran rewarded him with a leadership position.
From 2001–2005 Petrolati was the House Assistant Minority Whip and from 2005–2011 he was Speaker pro tempore.
According to Gagne, Petrolati sent her flowers with notes and called her constantly over a period of about six weeks in 1996. She said the conversations were “sexual” in nature and that he tried to persuade her to meet him in Boston.
The state commission found that Gagne had been fired for "inappropriate actions and comments" and ultimately dismissed the complaint against Petrolati.
During the State's investigation into patronage in the state’s Probation Department, it was revealed that Petrolati may have used his influence at probation in an attempt to pressure a key witness in the case.
Petrolati later testified against Speaker Thomas Finneran after Finneran was charged with obstruction of justice in the legislative redistricting case.
During the lawsuit, Petrolati portrayed himself as disengaged from the redistricting process. He did not take any notes at public hearings, did not communicate with advocates, and did not know how to use the computer software that drew the redistricting maps.
. In 2004, Petrolati disclosed that his wife was a “shareholder/director’’ of Your Choice Insurance Agency. However, according to the Boston Globe, multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of the business state that it was Petrolati, not his wife, who sold the policies.
's office found that Petrolati was the main person Richard Vitale, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi
's accountant, relied on during his illegal campaign to lobby for legislation benefiting ticket brokers. Petrolati was never charged in the case.
In 2010, a report by the Boston Globe revealed that more than 100 Probation Department employees had made political contributions to Petrolati, including 19 of the 25 employees who run probation offices between Worcester and the New York border.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
) is an American politician who represents the 7th Hampden District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
and was a member of the Ludlow, Massachusetts
Ludlow, Massachusetts
Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...
Board of Selectman from 1984–1986.
Early life
Petrolati, the son of a paint and wallpaper store owner, grew up in Ludlow, MassachusettsLudlow, Massachusetts
Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...
. After graduating from Western New England College
Western New England College
Western New England University is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts. Academic programs are provided through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering, School of Law, and College of Pharmacy....
, he returned to Ludlow where he worked for State Senator Martin Reilly and served on the town's Board of Selectman. In 1986, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
State Representative
In April 1996 Petrolati helped Thomas FinneranThomas Finneran
Thomas M. Finneran , is a radio talk host and former Massachusetts Democratic politician who served as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from April 1996 to September 2004...
build a coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats to defeat House Majority Leader Richard A. Voke for the speakership. Finneran rewarded him with a leadership position.
From 2001–2005 Petrolati was the House Assistant Minority Whip and from 2005–2011 he was Speaker pro tempore.
Sexual harassment allegations
In 1996, Jill Gagne a program director at the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination claiming she was fired after she told supervisors she was sexually harassed by Petrolati, who was an honorary board member of the club, and complained about his advances.According to Gagne, Petrolati sent her flowers with notes and called her constantly over a period of about six weeks in 1996. She said the conversations were “sexual” in nature and that he tried to persuade her to meet him in Boston.
The state commission found that Gagne had been fired for "inappropriate actions and comments" and ultimately dismissed the complaint against Petrolati.
During the State's investigation into patronage in the state’s Probation Department, it was revealed that Petrolati may have used his influence at probation in an attempt to pressure a key witness in the case.
Redistircting committee
In 2001, Petrolati was chairman of the Joint Special Committee on Redistricting, which was created to revise the state’s legislative boundaries. The Committee's redrawn districts were struck down after a panel of judges found that they were racially biased in order to protect incumbents.Petrolati later testified against Speaker Thomas Finneran after Finneran was charged with obstruction of justice in the legislative redistricting case.
During the lawsuit, Petrolati portrayed himself as disengaged from the redistricting process. He did not take any notes at public hearings, did not communicate with advocates, and did not know how to use the computer software that drew the redistricting maps.
Sale of insurance policies
From 2002 to 2004, Petrolati sold insurance policies to legislative colleagues, state employees, and private businesses without a license without disclosing any money earned from these sales to the state ethics commission or the Secretary of the CommonwealthMassachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is the principal public information officer of the state government of the U.S...
. In 2004, Petrolati disclosed that his wife was a “shareholder/director’’ of Your Choice Insurance Agency. However, according to the Boston Globe, multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of the business state that it was Petrolati, not his wife, who sold the policies.
Ticket brokers
An investigation by the State Attorney GeneralMassachusetts Attorney General
The Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected executive officer of the Massachusetts Government. The office of Attorney-General was abolished in 1843 and re-established in 1849. The current Attorney General is Martha Coakley....
's office found that Petrolati was the main person Richard Vitale, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi
Salvatore DiMasi
Salvatore F. "Sal" DiMasi is a former Democratic state representative in Massachusetts. The former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives originally joined the state legislature in 1979, as a member of the Democratic Party...
's accountant, relied on during his illegal campaign to lobby for legislation benefiting ticket brokers. Petrolati was never charged in the case.
Patronage scandal
Petrolati did not seek re-appointment to the Speaker pro tempore position after an independent counsel’s report revealed that he had gotten many of his supporters jobs in the Massachusetts Probation Department, including his wife, the husband of his chief of staff, a former legislative aide, and two of the aide's nieces.In 2010, a report by the Boston Globe revealed that more than 100 Probation Department employees had made political contributions to Petrolati, including 19 of the 25 employees who run probation offices between Worcester and the New York border.