One of the widely talked about rumors in Massachusetts State Politics is who is Ernie Boch III, the prolific diarist on Blue Mass Group. Many believe that he is a court officer of the General Court, aka the legislature. If so, this latest piece from David Frank of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, may cause him and other Court Officers to pause.
It appears that a federal grand jury investigating the hiring and promotion practices of the state's Probation Department may have expanded its reach to court officers.
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity, say a grand jury acting under the direction of U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz has subpoenaed court officers to testify in the case.
"I'm told they are working from the bottom up," says one State House source. "But I have no doubt that it's expanded beyond probation."
The news comes at a time when prosecutors are expected to call former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi to the grand jury.
The expanding probe may catch more people in its net. As State House News said last week it's "like a tell tale heart beating under the golden dome".
