Boston Herald
Howie Carr
July 4, 2012

When it comes to his racketeering brothers-in-law, U.S. Rep. Johnny “Pockets” Tierney has decided to go with the same defense Claude Rains used in “Casablanca.”

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”

At which point in the film a croupier hands Captain Renault a stack of cash and says, “Your winnings, sir.” That didn’t happen yesterday at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, but it might as well have, for all of Pockets’ believability.

He brushed off those statements last week from his jailbird in-laws that he’s “the biggest liar in the world.” And the reports of his knowledge of their multimillion-dollar gambling ring are mere “misperceptions” that are “misperceiving” the voters of the 6th Congressional District, who’ve sent more than one Democratic crook to Congress.

“I’m telling the truth,” Tierney kept saying. “They know me to be an honest person who tells the truth. … I’m an honest person and I’m telling the truth.

The “truth” is, his wife grabbed $223,000 from her brothers. Oh, and she’s done federal time, and one brother just began his three-year bit while the other one remains on the lam from a 442-count indictment. Plus, Mrs. Tierney invoked “spousal privilege” when asked about her husband.

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