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Boston official charged with extortion tied to music festival permits
Source: Reuters
World | Thu May 19, 2016 9:15am EDT
Boston official charged with extortion tied to music festival permits
BOSTON | BY SCOTT MALONE
A member of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh's administration was arrested on Thursday and charged with union-related extortion after he allegedly tried to withhold permits for a music festival using non-union workers, federal prosecutors said.
Kenneth Brissette, director of the city's office of tourism, sports and entertainment, was accused of repeatedly telling employees of the festival producer that they would not be allowed to stage their events unless they hired workers from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Events Local 11, according to court papers unsealed on Thursday.
The papers do not name the company that was the target of the alleged extortion, which occurred in 2014.
The indictment also tied Brissette to another case in which the producers of the reality television show "Top Chef" were threatened with the loss of their permits if they did not hire union workers. Four members of the Teamsters union were charged with extortion last year in connection with that case.
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Boston official charged with extortion tied to music festival permits
BOSTON | BY SCOTT MALONE
A member of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh's administration was arrested on Thursday and charged with union-related extortion after he allegedly tried to withhold permits for a music festival using non-union workers, federal prosecutors said.
Kenneth Brissette, director of the city's office of tourism, sports and entertainment, was accused of repeatedly telling employees of the festival producer that they would not be allowed to stage their events unless they hired workers from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Events Local 11, according to court papers unsealed on Thursday.
The papers do not name the company that was the target of the alleged extortion, which occurred in 2014.
The indictment also tied Brissette to another case in which the producers of the reality television show "Top Chef" were threatened with the loss of their permits if they did not hire union workers. Four members of the Teamsters union were charged with extortion last year in connection with that case.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-boston-extortion-idUSKCN0YA1RE