Overview
- Carlo DeMaria opened a new legal defense fund for services tied to a State Ethics Commission inquiry, according to an official filing with the campaign finance office.
- Commission rules keep inquiries confidential, and a spokesperson would not confirm or deny a case, while Everett’s city leadership also declined comment.
- Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro reported in 2025 that City Hall misapplied a longevity ordinance, inflating DeMaria’s pay by roughly $180,000 and raising possible ethics violations.
- After DeMaria refused to repay the bonuses, the City Council sought help from state and federal prosecutors and shared an audit that flagged a $32,000 lump-sum payout and a spike to $25,000 on his city credit card.
- DeMaria denies wrongdoing and previously used a separate defense fund in a libel case that ended with a $1.1 million payout to him, while his campaign recently disgorged illegal donations and the businesses paid $39,000 in fines.