Second City Official Facing Extortion Charges Released on $25K Bond

Boston, MA - Clad in a Red Sox ball cap, blue golf shirt and jeans, the second Boston official to face charges of conspiracy and extortion was released on an unsecured bond and ordered not to have contact with a list of witnesses Wednesday.

Timothy Sullivan, chief of staff of intergovernmental affairs under Mayor Marty Walsh, is the second city official to allegedly improperly pressure music festival organizers to hire union labor. He was arrested Wednesday morning.

Following Sullivan's court appearance, his lawyer excoriated the U.S. attorney's office, which brought the charges, according to The Boston Globe. In statements after Sullivan's appearance Wednesday in district court, lawyer William Cintolo reportedly said Sullivan had merely arranged a meeting between constituents.

“There is no allegation that he received any money, that he received any gifts, that he received any dinner or anything of that nature,” he said, according to the Globe. “I think the US attorney’s office believes they could run the city of Boston, meaning they’ll decide what’s good government, what’s not good government."

Like Kenneth Brisette, the city tourism chief indicted on related charges in May, Sullivan was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond the same day as his arrest.

The grand jury indictment released by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office charges Sullivan with two counts: extortion and conspiracy to extort Boston Calling's production company by withholding city permits and through "wrongful use of fear of economic harm."

According to that indictment, Sullivan and Brisette in 2014 pressured the company behind the Boston Calling music festival to hire union employees and withheld certain permits and approvals until the festival production company hired a handful of IATSE Locall 11 employees.

Sullivan's formal arraignment is scheduled for July 12.

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>> Photo via WHDH Channel 7