DiMasi
has been under fire in recent months for alleged ethics violations. The
most recent allegation was made last week when the Boston Globe
reported that Richard Vitale, DiMasi's former accountant and campaign
treasurer, paid some legal fees of DiMasi's in-laws. Vitale has already
been indicted on charges of violating lobbying laws.

The letter
from DiMasi continued, "No matter what the cynics and critics will say,
all my actions as state representative and as speaker were based solely
on what I thought was in the best interests of my district and the
people of the Commonwealth. I leave the Statehouse knowing that I did
what any good public servant hopes to do before they end their service
– I made a difference. I am proud of all I have done and I leave with
no regrets, – not one."

According to DiMasi's communications
director, David Guarino, DiMasi will give a farewell speech at a House
session on Tuesday at 1 p.m. and a Democratic caucus will be held at 11
a.m. Wednesday to elect a new speaker.

Two candidates
hoping to succeed DiMasi, current Ways and Means chairman Rep. Bob
DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Majority Leader John Rogers (D-Norwood) have
both in recent weeks indicated that they have the 81 votes necessary to
be elected speaker.

DeLeo, moments following this breaking news,
sent out an e-mail to the media. "I thank Speaker DiMasi for his
service to the House. Today, with humility and an eagerness to work on
the issues we face, I announce my intention to be a candidate for
Speaker of the House. I will work to restore faith in the House through
meaningful ethics reform, to guide the state budget through perilous
fiscal times, to fix our statewide system of transportation and to
serve the Commonwealth and its people with the knowledge that our
actions and decisions will have lasting affects for all people of
Massachusetts."