NEW: Schilling Blasts Critics Over 38 Studios Subpoena, and More
GoLocalProv News Team
NEW: Schilling Blasts Critics Over 38 Studios Subpoena, and More
On Wednesday, Schilling blasted his critics over the subpoena issued by the Rhode Island House Oversight Committee -- that he says he hasn't received -- and took dead aim at Mass Live for an editorial penned by the paper on Monday.
The former Boston Red Sox pitcher and founder of the failed 38 Studios video game venture -- and moral obligation bond -- that is the subject of a lawsuit by the State of Rhode Island and now a Rhode Island House Oversight Committee investigation, took to his blog on Tuesday to excoriate naysayers, specifically Mass Live.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"How can you ignore something you never saw? I have not been served anything by anyone," said Schilling, in his scathing retort to Mass Live's editorial.
And Schilling specifically calls out former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee -- and staff -- in his blog post.
"When the story finally is made public, and everyone is able to hear how this happened, and the staggering ineptitude put on display by the then Governor and his ‘staff’, I assume people will be even more livid and more stunned. The sheer ignorance and stupidity that they exhibited is truly stuff that can’t be made up."
Read Schilling's Blog Entry HERE
Who Should Be Subpoenaed in 38 Studios Hearings
1.
Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Frank Anzeveno
The former legislator was the go-to staff member who coordinated the Speaker’s office and was deeply involved with the management of legislation.
As GoLocal described him in 2012, “Nothing gets done in the House without a nod from Speaker Fox’s Chief of Staff, who has to play a prominent role in deciding which legislation even makes it to the Speaker’s desk and also which legislators need to be punished for not kissing the ring of leadership. He’s been successful so far. Anzeveno has helped Fox avoid much conflict with his chamber, even when he had a lot of unhappy members during controversial debates over pension reform and same-sex marriage last year."
2.
3.
Steven Costantino, Presently Commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access
The former Chair of the House Finance Committee was politically adjoined at the hip with Speaker Gordon Fox.
In the recent documents released in the state's 38 Studios lawsuit, an email from EDC legal council Robert Stolzman in April 2010 -- before the legislation was introduced to create the job creation program that enabled 38 Studios - shows that "at the suggestion of [Chairman] Costantino]" the program's size was increased from $50 million to $125 million.
4.
Curt Schilling, Founder of 38 Studios
The former Red Sox great can outline the timeline of the meetings with Fox, Mike Corso and former Speaker Bill Murphy -- but to date, has not.
Schilling knows the timeline, the promises, and at a minimum, some of the details of the deal within the deal.
It is clear that Schilling may have been the second largest financial loser in the collapse of 38 Studios (to the State of Rhode Island).
5.
Tom Zaccagnino, Financier
Zaccagnino, a Massachusetts financier, along with the ultimate Rhode Island insider Mike Corso were meeting and working on a deal to bring 38 Studios to Rhode Island at its earliest stages.
Communications between Zaccagnino and Corso started in the summer of 2009, months before the inception of the deal were publicly reported. Zaccagnino, a former Yale lacrosse great, was the deal-maker in bringing together 38 Studios and his ability to get Rhode Island to create a $75 million loan fund. By working with Corso, Zaccagnino had access directly to Speaker of the House Gordon Fox.
6.
Michael Corso, Lawyer and Tax Credit Broker
Corso was the architect of the 38 Studios deal and made millions putting the deal together.
In his deposition in the State’s lawsuit, he pled the 5th hundreds of times to questions ranging from the timeframe of the deal, his role, and his personal relationship with Fox.
Corso over the past two decades has been able to use his relationships and political connections to make millions in fees from historic tax credits, payments on the 38 Studios deal, and movie tax credits -- all taxpayer sponsored programs. His success in part was fueled by his close relationship with Gordon Fox, the former Speaker of the House and now an inmate in federal prison.
7.
Gordon Fox, Former Speaker, Now Inmate in Federal Prison
Presently, the former Speaker is serving his three year sentence at Canaan Federal Penitentiary in PA. Like Corso, Fox refused to answer any questions during the course of his deposition in the State’s lawsuit.
Fox evoked the 5th Amendment approximately 800 times.
The former Speaker says he is a good person who made mistakes. He could begin the reform process by appearing before his former Chamber and explaining what happened in the deal creation for 38 Studios.
