FORMER REP & CASINO SUPPORTER WALLACE INDICTED ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE ALLEGATIONS

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FORMER REP WALLACE INDICTED ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE ALLEGATIONS

By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JULY 21, 2011…..Brian Wallace, a former state Democratic representative from South Boston, has been indicted on charges that he failed to report campaign contributions and failed to preserve expense records, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Thursday.

Wallace's former campaign treasurer Timothy Duross was indicted as well. The indictments stem from allegations that Wallace and Duross failed to report $6,345 in campaign contributions in 2008 -- 17 percent of his total contributions that year.

When asked by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to provide backup documentation, neither Wallace, 61, or Duross, 50, were able to comply, according to a statement from Coakley's office.

OCPF began investigating the issue in 2009 and referred the case to the attorney general. Wallace represented the Fourth Suffolk District in the House from 2003 to January 2011. He retired after his term expired this year.

According to Coakley's office, Duross began working as Wallace's campaign treasurer in 2001. “Candidates and their treasurers are required by law to accurately record campaign contributions and preserve all records of expenses,” Coakley said in a statement.

“These laws are critical to the integrity of our campaign finance system, ensuring greater transparency and protecting against the misuse of campaign funds. We allege that Mr. Wallace and his treasurer failed to properly record thousands of dollars in contributions and expenses in direct violation of those laws.”

The case will be prosecuted by Coakley's Public Integrity Division.

During his tenure in the Legislature, Wallace was a vocal advocate for casino gambling. A screenwriter, Wallace was also a supporter of a film industry tax credit.