2 City Hall Employees Convicted Of Conspiring, Extortion

BOSTON —The jury has reached a verdict in the Boston Calling music festival extortion trial of two of Mayor Marty Walsh's aids, according to the District Attorney's office. Timothy Sullivan and Kenneth Brissette were convicted of Hobbs Act conspiracy. Brissette was also convicted of Hobbs Act extortion.

The jury agreed with the prosecution that the two men bullied Boston Calling music festival organizers into hiring union workers in exchange for city permits in 2014.

An appeals court in March reversed a district court's decision that led to the dismissal of the case.

On July 22 this year the trial began again against city tourism chief Brissette and head of intergovernmental affairs Sullivan who told organizers of the festival that if they didn’t hire union workers, labor groups would picket the City Hall Plaza concert. Both denied the charges.

“This afternoon, a federal jury convicted Kenneth Brissette and Timothy Sullivan of extorting a private business to hire union labor that they did not want or need,” said United States Attorney Andrew Lelling in a statement. “Private companies that want to do business in Boston have the right to hire anyone they want – union or not – without fear of being threatened with economic disaster by government officials. That is the law. This was a hard fought victory, and one that reaffirms our commitment to take on cases that are in the public interest.”

Between June and September 2014, while the music festival production company was awaiting the issuance of certain permits and approvals required for its event, and looking for an agreement from the City of Boston to use City Hall Plaza for events beyond 2017, Brissette and Sullivan repeatedly advised the company that it would need to hire members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 11 to work the event.

Local 11 had attempted to obtain work from the production company since March 2013. The production company told Brissette and Sullivan that it had already entered into a contract with a non-union company and hired all of its labor.

Nevertheless, on Sept. 2, 2014, three days before the music festival was scheduled to begin, Brissette and Sullivan insisted that half of the production company’s labor force consist of union members. The production company agreed to hire nine members of Local 11 and entered into a contract with the union because they feared the company would be financially ruined if they did not accede to the these City officials’ demands.

“Today’s verdicts show that public officials cannot use their positions to extort those who choose to use non-union labor," said Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joseph Bonavolonta in a release. "The FBI will not stand idly by while hard-working individuals are bullied and strong-armed by public servants. Everyone deserves access to a level playing field, and the excuse of 'business as usual' isn’t good enough to earnest citizens who rely on their own local governments to do right by them and their families. Let this case be a warning to municipal workers everywhere, it is the taxpayers they serve and answer to at the end of the day.”

The two face up to 20 years in prison, three years probation and $250,000 for conspiracy to extort. The charge of extortion provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

The festival is the city's largest outdoor music festival regularly drawing crowds in the tens of thousands. It's featured artists from Eminem to Beck to Modest Mouse and Travis Scott to more local musicians and comedians.

Walsh released this statement following the news:

"I am surprised and disappointed. I have made clear from the beginning that there is only one way to do things in my Administration and that is the right way. I have always believed that their hearts were in the right place. We have taken several measures at the City of Boston to ensure that every employee has the right tools and training to perform at the highest ethical standards, which has always been my expectation"

Related:

• Appeals Court Reverses Decision In Boston Calling Scandal
• Boston Calling 2019: Lineup, Tickets For 10th Annual Festival (2019)
• City Officials Arraigned on Extortion, Conspiracy Charges (2016)
• Second City Official Facing Extortion Charges (2016)

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).