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 After state Sen. J. James Marzilli Jr., was indicted July 1 on charges
he accosted four women, his Senate colleagues voted unanimously for an unusual
ethics investigation into the Arlington Democrat. He is scheduled to appear for an
arraignment in Lowell Superior Court on Wednesday, July 9, at 2 p.m.
July 1: Marzilli indicted in cases involving 4 women in Lowell
Middlesex County
prosecutors announced an indictment against Marzilli in incidents June
3. Marzilli's lawyer, Terrence Kennedy, has said his client is
innocent. The first-term progressive senator remains a member of the
state Senate but is not seeking reelection, was recently hospitalized
and has not been present at the State House for weeks.
Shortly before 6 p.m. July 1, the Senate voted, 38-0, to instruct its Committee on Ethics and Rules to consider Marzilli's case but "make no report until the Supreme Court [sic] criminal matter has concluded," reasoning that "the Senate wishes to take no action that would in any manner prejudice or interfere with the administration of justice in the Trial Courts."
[The quotation more likely should refer to Superior Court.]
Lawmakers formally investigate colleagues only on extremely rare occasions. Less than hour after the indictment was announced, the Senate abruptly broke from its session for a caucus of all members in Senate President Therese Murray's office, then later gathered around Murray at the rostrum before taking a solemn roll-call vote on the order.
After the session, several senators declined to discuss their votes or the order, citing confidentiality rules.
In an e-mailed statement, Murray, who usually does not vote on Senate matters but voted in favor of the order, said July 1, "As was previously stated, the members take this matter very seriously. With this new development, the Senate has voted today to refer the matter to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules. Under the rules of the Senate, any proceedings of the committee are confidential."
"These are troubling allegations in which Senator Marzilli is alleged to have engaged in a string of highly inappropriate and sexually explicit acts against four separate women," District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement.
The state GOP on July 1 launched a marzilliwatch.com Web site calculating how many gallons of gas Marzilli's base salary could buy, and polling visitors on whether the Senate should "expel" Marzilli.
In a statement, Republican Party spokesman Barney Keller said, "The state Senate should do the right thing by expelling Senator Marzilli immediately. It is simply a waste of taxpayer dollars for him to keep receiving a paycheck while not showing up for work."
Senators adopted the order without debate Tuesday. Two members of the body, Sens. Steven Panagiotakos, Democrat of Lowell, and Scott Brown, Republican of Wrentham, have publicly called for Marzilli to resign.
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