“Mean bastards,” is what I answered a person who asked me why the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI want John Connolly to die in prison. That’s my explanation for what is going on. They have no reason other than they are vindictive people who have the power to work behind the scenes to continue the unwarranted imprisonment of him.
It’s not that John Connolly knows anything that could hurt them; even if he did, few, if any, would believe him since he has lost all credibility in the public eye after the incessant hammering he has taken in the media and books by malicious people using him as a foil for hurting others. A tragic part of John Connolly’s plight is that he has yet to fully grasp after all these years in prison that he was betrayed by the FBI. He knows he did the job that he was supposed to have done; he knows the FBI knows that is what he did; because of his brain washing by that Bureau he cannot understand that it is because he did the job that the FBI had to turn on him and try to destroy him.
He is incapable of understanding the abhorrence with which he is held by the top echelon bureaucrats in the FBI and DOJ. He remains in prison because these officials sub silento can control his fate – work behind the scenes to keep him there. They are still smarting over having had their corrupt operation exposed. As long as they breathe the only way they can placate their hurt feelings is to inflict continuing punishment on Connolly.
Think of the reason why Connolly was convicted of murder of John Callahan in Florida. The man who did the murder, John Martorano, said Connolly told his associates Whitey Bulger and Stevie Flemi that Callahan would not stand up when the FBI investigated his involvement in the Oklahoma murder of Roger Wheeler. That was the government’s case against him – a conversation, or two, where the theory was that had he not said that then John Callahan would not have been murdered.
The theory is so outrageous that only mean bastards intent on getting Connolly could have believed it in light of the reality of the situation. Of course, the reality was never disclosed to the Florida jury that convicted him but those who went after him certainly knew it.
Here’s what the jury did not know. Connolly was an operative for the FBI in its highly secretive Top Echelon Informant (TEI) program. The way the TEI program worked was the FBI would utilize top-level criminals who would get into the same boat as the FBI. The TEI would row the boat along with the FBI agents by providing information against other top-level criminals, especially if they were members of the Italian Mafia. In exchange for the cooperation, the TEI would be protected by the FBI. In 2011 an FBI agent was intercepted telling his TEI who was a member of the Mafia that “my job is to keep you safe.”
Connolly had ten or more TEIs, among them were Whitey Buger and Stevie Flemmi. If his job was to keep them safe, would it follow that as part of it he would tell them that John Callahan may have loose lips? If not, what was he supposed to do for these TEIs?
What is it that Connolly or any FBI agent had to offer or agree to do for the TEIs in exchange for information they were expected to provide to the FBI? That is the big white elephant that is standing in the middle of the room. No one wants to look at it. That is why the mean bastards want to see Connolly leave prison in a prone position then perhaps no one ever will have to answer the question. The TEI program can continue on.
To this point I have accepted the proposition that Connolly told his TEI’s that Callahan would not stand up for them in front of a grand jury. If he did, as noted, he was supposed to do that to protect them. But I’m not sure that he did. But to suggest had he not done that John Callahan would not have been murdered ignores the truth. I’ll go through that tomorrow.
This is a very complicated case.
However, the best answer would be for John Connolly to tell his side of the story.
His silence does not help his case.
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Thank you Matt for your recent post on John Connolly. You are pointing the readers in the right direction by asking the smart questions. John Connolly’s 2008 murder conviction was overturned in May 2014. Why is he still in prison? It is a terrible injustice to keep this man in prison. John Connolly was framed to conceal the Boston U.S Attorney’s office, and the Justice Department’s “protection” of FBI Gangster/Informants, James “Whitey” Bulger and Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi in return for their intelligence on the New England Mafia.
In his Order of January 15, 2009 Miami Court Judge, Stanford Blake, confirmed that Connolly was convicted of 2nd Degree Murder [with a firearm] he played no role in, based on a weapon he never possessed. Judge Blake ruled that the charge of 2nd Degree Murder was never “proven beyond a reasonable doubt” as required by law. Judge Blake found that Connolly could never have possessed any weapon during the commission of the crime, based on the testimony of the actual killer, state witness, John Martorano, and evidence presented at trial:
“It is undisputed that John Martorano shot and killed the victim. The defendant [Connolly] was in Massachusetts when the victim was shot and killed. The defendant and John Martorano had never met before the murder.”
Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi was the other key witness against John Connolly in his Miami murder trial.
Under oath, both in depositions and in his Miami testimony in the Connolly trial, state witness Stephen Flemmi testified that neither he [Flemmi], nor Whitey Bulger ever told Connolly they had killed anybody or were going to kill somebody and, in fact, it would have been “unthinkable” to have done so!
In his Miami deposition, Flemmi said they never did anything to communicate “the thought” or “message” that they had ever killed anybody. [Flemmi testimony 6/14/2006, Tr. 569 at 9-25]. In Another prior deposition, Flemmi testified that John Connolly never suggested to him directly or indirectly to kill anybody! [Flemmi testimony 10/24/2004, Tr. 319]. During cross-examination at trial, Flemmi admitted that “Connolly never told him and Bulger to kill anyone, and they never confessed to him that they had.”
Former FBI agent Connolly was tasked to recruit known killers as FBI informants to bring down the Mafia and the Justice Department knew it!
The DOJ/FBI Manual of Investigative Operations and Guidelines [MIOG], Part 1, 137-16 (1)(a) and 137-16 (1)(b) directed all agents assigned to Organized Crime matters to develop “Informants” who are members of La Cosa Nostra [LCN-the Mafia] or other organized criminal groups”, and “Informants who can furnish significant information regarding LCN or their such nationally organized criminal groups”, all of whom were believed by the Justice Department and FBI to be killers! FBI officials confirm that Connolly broke the FBI record by developing 20 of this category of informant which allowed the Boston FBI Office to bring down the New England Mafia. Former FBI agent John Connolly did the job he was told to do by the FBI and when the spotlight was put on the FBI about the TEI program, the DOJ made John Connolly the scapegoat. I am looking forward to reading more posts on this topic.
Sharon:
What can I say other than spot on. You get it.
In answer to your question he is still in prison because his attorney screwed up and was supposed to file a motion agreeing with the judge, Connolly’s lawyer had something like 10 days to file the motion and he didn’t do it in time and blew it right then and there
Dick, good post. I too have researched this ad nauseum and believe JOhn Connolly had absolutely nothing to do with Callahan’s murder. You correctly note he was on a leave of absence getting his masters degree in public policy at the Harvard JFK School of Government. Beyond that the Miami Innocent Project, made up of law school professors and students, took John’s case after they were convinced not just legally but factually that John Connolly was innocent of the murder charges brought against. MIP won’t accept a case, unless they are fully convinced that their client is innocent–not technically innocent, but innocent in fact. Dick please read my book Character Assassins II which should be out in November from Xlibris. It is my ninth book, the tenth is in the oven, and my last factual non-fiction book. I’m so appalled at the corruption in justice in Massachusetts federal and state courts, and in Florida—six years before they give a written opinion, then when the written opinion overturns the lower court verdict, the Florida Appeals courts still hold the innocent man in captivity. You practicing lawyers must exercise restraint. I can call it like I see it: corruption to the core. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” What SCOTUS said about the Massachusetts judiciary applies to Florida (and the FEDs) “They acted without lawful authority.” Bands of bandits and sadists, punishing the innocent with unlawful excessively burdensome processes!
Matt, I would like to reply to your posting regarding John Connolly. First, you mentioned that Matorano was told by Whitey and Stevie that John Connolly told them to be cautious of what John Callahan may say regarding his attempts to gain control of Roger Wheeler’s Jai Lai [excuse spelling] company. Well, in court testimony, Matorano stated that he did not know John Connolly; did not speak to John Connolly, period. John Connolly had absolutely nothing to do with the murder of John Callahan. Matorano was unaware of Connolly’s relationship with Whitet and Stevie. No conversation was engaged in between Whitey, Stevie, Matorano or any other criminal associates of Whitey and Stevie. Of course, the press would lead you to believe that John Connolly was in the middle of this murder scheme; when the truth be known, John Connolly never met John Callahan and he was at the John F. Kennedy School of Government – Harvard University at the time of the this alleged conspiracy regarding getting John Callahan murdered. As your readers should know, John Connolly was acquitted of anything to do with the Callahan murder in his Boston RICO trial; absolutely nothing to do with the murder of Callahan. The USA’s office in Boston sanctioned AUSA Fred Wyshak traveled to Florida to meet with the State’s Attorney’s office to discuss the possibility of charging John Connolly, in Florida, with John Callahan’s murder. AUSA Wyshak’s efforts resulted in John Connolly being indicted and subsequently charged with 1st Degree murder and Conspiracy to commit 1st Degree murder. These two indicted charges were challenged/tried in the Florida trial. During the final summations, and after both sides rested, the state attorney, fearing that their case was not as strong as they wanted, decided to ask the judge to have the jury consider a 3rd charge an unindicted charge of 2nd degree murder while armed [or with a firearm]. After vehement objects by John Connolly’s attorneys, the judge decided to allow the jury to hear the 2nd degree murder charge. The result, the jury came back finding John Connolly not guilty of both indicted charges, but, for reasons only known to the jury, they found him guilty of the third charge. The state simply stated that in John Connolly’s position as an FRI FBI agent he carried his service revolver, therefore, they could enhance the time barred 2nd degree murder by reclassifying the charge stating the statute of limitations on 2nd degree murder could be enhanced because he carried a weapon at the time of the crime. Well, the Florida statutes clearly state that in order for the Florida State prosecutors to reclassify/enhance the charge, John Connolly would have to have had possession of the ACTUAL murder weapon, not any weapon, which we all know Matorano had possession and he used it to pump 3 bullets in the back of John Callahan’s head, in Ft. Lauderdale, while John Connolly was residing in Boston at the time. John Connolly is appealing his conviction under numerous grounds, all solid arguments that have been presented to the COA in Miami. In fact, the Innocence Clinic attached to the U of Miami Law School, took up John Connolly’s case and found overwhelmingly that he was wrongfully convicted. Their efforts help guide John Connolly’s appellate attorney to challenge his wrongful conviction. I will wait to see what Matt will state in his next posting. Dick Baker
Dear mr Baker thank you fot your article it makes more sense to me than any of those other made up tales in the newspapers . i agree with you 100% in the Innocense of FBI AGENT JOHN CONNOLLY WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO BE THE HANDLER OF THE #1 MOST WANTED CRIMINAL ON THE FBI LIST.Along with Connolly and the rest of the FBI agents they removed the MAFIA OFF the streets. Than the federal prosecutors got them all out with pay!!!! Ill never forget in the first trial in boston when the defense atty asked
Mortorano ” isn’t it true mr mortorano that you ADMIT to killing 20 people ”
After asking it a few times the judge ordered mortorano to answer. His answer
” your honor 20 or 30 WHO’S COUNTING!,,,, Now I ask you would this person lie under oath so he could go home with $20,000. Thank you Matt, Lee, William and Mr Baker
Matt,
Thank you for pursuing the truth and not being afraid to write about it.
John deserves to be free and to be reunited with his family. He has paid too dear a price for the government’s malfeasance.