A new twist to this latest scandal:
Facing another withering controversy, Gov. Deval Patrick apologized yesterday for intervening in a financial deal involving an embattled mortgage lender - a mea culpa that came as the Herald learned that the Ameriquest official who requested his help was also a campaign donor.The sad thing is that Deval thinks we'll just forget about it if he claims he regrets his actions.Patrick made a phone call to a top Citigroup official at the urging of Adam Bass, a top Ameriquest lawyer who gave a maximum $500 donation to Patrick’s campaign in February 2006, financial records show. Patrick previously served as a director for the mortgage company, which has faced accusations of predatory lending.
The governor’s intervention occurred despite a January memo approved by Patrick that warned administration officials of potential conflicts when dealing with ACC Capital, the firm that owns Ameriquest and employs Bass.