John Connolly: Whitey Bulger's Capture Could Set Me Free
BOSTON (CBS) - The FBI agent behind bars in connection with the Whitey Bulger corruption case is now speaking out from a Florida jail.
John Connolly tells Newsweek, "My lawyers have information that since Bulger was brought in, he spoke to FBI agents and told them I had nothing to do with tipping him off [about a pending federal indictment.] And he told them I had nothing to do with this murder in Florida, not one damn thing. "
Michael Sullivan is the US Attorney who oversaw the federal prosecution of Connolly in Massachusetts. He says, "I'm not surprised by the fact John Connolly continues to attempt to minimize his role in terms of the corrupt activities he was involved in."
Sullivan says Connolly has lied before, and has nothing to lose now because he's serving a 40-year sentence in Florida for giving Bulger information that lead to the murder of John Callahan. Connolly already served his federal sentence in Massachusetts.
Sullivan says, "We know he lied to FBI agents and others during the investigation, and we also know he shared information with James Whitey Bulger concerning the sealed grand jury indictment."
We know Whitey Bulger has spoken to the FBI. In the recently released documents, an FBI agent says: "I mentioned to Bulger that I had found what appeared to be the book he was writing. Bulger replied with an expletive and said 'you found it? Did I name names?'"
Michael Sullivan says, "It wouldn't shock me if James Whitey Bulger lied to an FBI agent who was interviewing him."
But what, if anything, he's said about John Connolly has not been confirmed.
Connolly tells Newsweek: "The Justice Department is going to do everything within its power to try to make sure the full story never comes out."
A spokesperson for the District Attorney in Miami-Dade County that successfully prosecuted Connolly says any self serving statements he makes are not surprising, and any statements made by Bulger should be met with a grain of salt given the fact he is currently being prosecuted for 19 murders.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
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David Frank, the managing editor of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Monday no matter what Connolly says, and no matter what Bulger says, there is a credibility problem.
"Clearly the baggage that would be associated with any purported testimony from Whitey Bulger would be significant. But, that in and of itself, wouldn't close the door to the courthouse for Connolly, because certainly in this case, a lot of the witnesses who are going to be testifying in any future trials are going to be people who have baggage."
