Fresolo bows out as probe concludes; Not `currently effective' as a rep.

Byline: John J. Monahan

The following correction was published in the Telegram & Gazette on May 24, 2013:

WORCESTER - Mathew T. Taylor was among four candidates running for the District 3 City Council seat to replace Paul Clancy Jr., who did not seek re-election in 2011. Because of a reporter's error, Mr. Taylor's first name was misspelled and the person he ran against was incorrect in Thursday's Telegram & Gazette.

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BOSTON - State Rep. John P. Fresolo, D-Worcester, resigned from the House of Representatives Wednesday as part of a negotiated agreement with House officials in the wake of a wide-ranging Ethics Committee investigation that ended earlier this week.

In an interview Wednesday, Mr. Fresolo said he submitted his resignation as representative for the 16th Worcester district, effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday, ending 15 years in that office.

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo meanwhile has contacted the Secretary of State to set a date for a special election to fill the seat for later this year.

"Regretfully, I submitted my resignation today from the House of Representatives," Mr. Fresolo told the Telegram & Gazette. "I am resigning because I am not currently effective, and I do not see that changing in the short run, and the people of my district need effective representation. Because of that I have decided to step down at this time."

The eight-term legislator said that because of rules covering ethics investigations, he was unable to disclose details of the investigation launched in March by House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. The probe, which was conducted behind closed doors, began after a legislative staffer lodged a series of complaints involving what the speaker called "serious violations" of House ethical standards.

After an initial investigation by the House counsel determined the allegations had merit, Mr. DeLeo ordered a full investigation by the Ethics Committee, which was granted special subpoena powers for the probe. The committee conducted four days of hearings behind closed doors over the last two weeks.

House officials have not publicly detailed the alleged misconduct. However, sources have confirmed that Mr. Fresolo's per diem travel expenses were being probed and that the investigation involved multiple other alleged ethical breaches by a member of the House.

Mr. Fresolo, 48, said his resignation came after negotiations with the Ethics Committee at the end of those hearings and that he submitted his...