Ex-Speaker DiMasi Gets 2-Week Prison Reprieve

A federal judge has given former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and co-defendant Richard McDonough two additional weeks before they must report to prison.

DiMasi and McDonough were scheduled to begin their sentences on Nov. 16. DiMasi got eight years in prison, McDonough, seven.

In a ruling issued Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf moved the reporting date to Nov. 30 to give the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals more time to consider requests from DiMasi and McDonough that they be granted bail and allowed to remain free during the appeals process.

DiMasi and McDonough — a State House lobbyist — were found guilty in June of charges stemming from a scheme to steer two lucrative state contracts to a software firm in exchange for kickbacks.