BOSTON, June 16 (UPI) -- Salvatore DiMasi, a former Massachusetts House speaker, was convicted Wednesday on federal corruption charges arising from a kickback scheme.
DiMasi was found guilty on seven of nine counts stemming from is efforts to profit from kickbacks paid by a software company seeking multimillion-dollar state contracts, The Boston Globe reported. The jury deliberated more than 10 hours before reaching its decision.
After the verdict DiMasi told reporters he never meant to do anything criminal.
"This is an intent crime, and I knew I did not have the requisite intent to commit this crime," he said.
"I was a legislator who did the best I could, and I made a lot of good decisions and I helped a lot of people. And I would never have any second thoughts of running for office again."
He is to be sentenced Aug. 18 but DiMasi said he would appeal his conviction.
