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September 26, 2006

Lawyer advised Urciuoli be 'careful' in use of Celona

PROVIDENCE -- The lawyer for Roger Williams Medical Center testified today that she questioned Robert Urciuoli’s plan to use John Celona to arrange a State House meeting with leaders of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

Kimberly O’Connell, Roger Williams’ general counsel and vice president, testified that she went to hospital president Urciuoli in 2002, after receiving a phone call from James McGuirk, the hospital’s outside lawyer, who relayed a conversation he had just had with Urciuoli.

McGuirk thought it "looked strange’’ for Celona, who was on the hospital’s payroll as a consultant, to be setting up a meeting in his capacity as a state senator.

"Jim asked me to talk Bob about it,’’ testified O’Connell.

O’Connell told jurors that she met with Urciuoli, and he was critical of Blue Cross head Ronald A. Battista because Blue Cross owed Roger Williams $3 million in past reimbursements and Battista was "dragging his feet’’ on paying up, refusing to even return Urciuoli’s calls.

Urciuoli assured her that Celona would only be "facilitating’’ a meeting and not negotiating with Blue Cross on the hospital’s behalf. O’Connell said that she concluded that that would be okay, and told Urciuoli to "be careful.’’

Among the charges against Urciuoli is that he stole Celona’s honest services as a state senator by using him for political missions, including pressuring Blue Cross – which had legislation pending before Celona’s Senate committee – to meet with Roger Williams.

Under cross-examination by the defense, O’Connell acknowledged that she did not advise Urciuoli that it would be illegal or unethical for Celona to arrange the meeting.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 1:23 PM | Permalink

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