TOP O’ THE WORLD
TEAMSTERS’ NOT GUILTY VERDICT A BIG WIN FOR MAYOR
The “Top Chef” not guilty verdict doesn’t wash away the city’s links to union bullying tactics, but it does mark another fortunate turn for Mayor Martin J. Walsh amid another banner week for his re-election campaign.
Walsh, a former union leader himself, has to feel somewhat vindicated by seeing four Teamsters walk free after federal prosecutors failed to prove they extorted the “Top Chef” show for union jobs.
He resisted showing any satisfaction yesterday, saying, “I don’t know if vindication is the right word, I’m just happy it’s behind us now and we can focus on impor-
tant things.”
The acquittals came after a long trial that put the Walsh administration in a bad light, showing that a top Walsh aide took part in efforts to force the reality show to hire union workers. One “Top Chef” executive said the aide told him the filming put the mayor in an “uncomfortable” situation — not exactly a warm welcome for the film industry.
Walsh continues to insist that an internal report he commissioned cleared the city of any misconduct, but the testimony in the trial and the indictments of two top City Hall aides contradicted that report.
“You saw what happened today, there was a not guilty, maybe you’d have to go back and talk to the U.S. attorney’s office about that,” Walsh said when asked about the city withholding permits for non-union productions.
But federal prosecutors never got the guilty verdict they wanted, and that could impact the future trial of his two aides, who are also charged with extortion in attempting to force the music festival Boston Calling to hire union workers.
Prosecutors now will be under increased pressure to win a guilty verdict in that case — but that trial was delayed until after Walsh’s re-election, so its political impact will be minimized.
Walsh, in fact, has been on an incredible political run of late. His opponent, City Councilor Tito Jackson, has been relegated to the sidelines while the mayor has been getting free media time fighting President Trump.
Walsh also has been building a massive fundraising advantage over Jackson, who trails in the polls by a big margin.
And this week, Walsh got about as close as it gets to a layup in politics, condemning white supremacists and neo-Nazis who participated in the deadly protest in Charlottesville, Va., and telling them to stay away from a planned protest in Boston.
Some free speech advocates won’t like it, but any chance Walsh has to stand up against racism and white nationalists is a plus for his campaign, especially while his opponent is vying to become the first black mayor of Boston. And while Jackson also issued a statement denouncing hate groups and white supremacists, it was overshadowed by Walsh’s comments.
The fact that Walsh is getting most of the attention is just one of the huge perks of incumbency — perks that Walsh has used generously in his race against Jackson.
And now that the “Top Chef” trial is over, Walsh continues his political roll, leaving his rival in the dust.