THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 Page 5 RESNEK | FROM PAGE 2 that DeMaria wasn’t giving a penny in city ads to the newspaper that was criticizing him on nearly a weekly basis. “Can we agree that you’ve been angry at the mayor because you held him responsible for advertising revenue not coming into the coff ers of the paper?” asked the attorney. “That’s a valid statement,” replied Resnek. Resnek further claimed that the mayor forced a major advertiser from advertising with the Leader Herald but refused to reveal the name of the advertiser or any other advertiser. The Leader Herald reporter was asked for his defi nition of extortion, Resnek replied that it is when “one thing is withheld from someone else to give someone else an advantage.” When asked if he knew if stealing was a crime, Resnek replied, “I would not consider stealing in some respects a crime.” When asked if he knew extortion was a crime, Resnek replied, “I would say, in some respects, that the use of the word ‘extortion’ to connote the interaction between people is not a crime.” Resnek was then asked to look at the article he wrote in which he stated, “We won’t be intimidated or extorted here by the mayor” – “you were saying he was trying to extort you, correct?” – to which Resnek dismissively replied, “Water off a duck’s tail,” claiming that it wasn’t his words and that he wasn’t prosecuting the mayor. The attorneys then delved into a Sept. 6, 2021, redacted email thread between Resnek and Philbin where Philbin complained that the Everett Co-Operative Bank had stopped advertising and blamed the mayor. Resnek was then asked if he contacted anyone at the bank to find out why the ad was pulled; he stated he did not. “Did you make any eff ort, sir, to ascertain from anybody at the Everett Cooperative Bank whether or not Mr. DeMaria had intervened to get the bank to not provide money to your newspaper?” “I did not,” replied Resnek. He was then asked why he stated in the email thread that the Everett Co-Operative Bank was not advertising in the Leader Herald because the bank was somehow connected to the city putting money in the bank interest free. Resnek replied that’s what he believed to be true. Resnek was then asked if he spoke to anybody at the bank or City Hall about if the allegation was true. “Did you ask to look at any public records reflecting the holdings of city money in various banks to see what the interest rate was?” asked Robbins. “No, I didn’t,” replied Resnek. Resnek was then shown a list of fi nancial institutions, all public record, in which the City of Everett has money deposited: 10 accounts, all showing interest that is paid. “Did you do any investigation to ascertain whether or not there was a single account at Everett Cooperative Bank where city money was held which was interest free?” asked Robbins. Resnek claimed he was told by a variety of sources – sources which he refused to name. Resnek gave another deposition on Thursday and is scheduled for another at a later date. OUR OFFICE HAS MOVED TO 519 BROADWAY, EVERETT SABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: Rocco Longo, Owner WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM
6 Publizr Home