Cyber war rages in 6th District race

LYNN – The cyber war in the race for Massachusetts? Sixth Congressional District seat kicked into high gear on Thursday.The state Democratic Party launched a website, tiseifacts.com, which comments on alleged shady real estate business dealings of the parents of Republican candidate and former state Sen. Richard Tisei of Wakefield – the subject of a recent story in The Boston Phoenix – and many civil suits that were waged against them.Tiesi?s campaign, in response, launched its own website on Thursday, tierneystales.com, which highlights calls from watchdog groups for an ethics investigation of 16-year incumbent John F. Tierney, for not reporting money his wife, Patrice Tierney, received in connection with her brothers? illegal offshore gambling enterprise.Patrice Tierney pleaded guilty in 2010 to aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns, and served 30 days in federal prison in 2011.Tierney has long maintained he was not obligated to report money his wife received as a gift from her brother for taking care of his family, and that he contacted the House Committee on Ethics following his wife?s guilty plea.Kevin Franck, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party, said Thursday that its website targeting Tisei was launched “because voters deserve to know the truth about Richard Tisei?s family?s web of fraud.”The website references various civil suits against Tisei?s parents, the late Ralph Tisei and Beverly Tisei, in connection with their many real estate-related businesses, and alleges, among other things, that the Tiseis deceived franchisees in their home inspection company, The Building Inspector of America.?Eventually, a federal court found that Ralph and Beverly Tisei violated the law and were liable for their actions,” the web site states.The site goes on to claim that a winning plaintiff in one suit was allowed by a judge to place a lien on property owned by the Tiseis at 698 Main St., Wakefield, “so that they might receive restitution.” The site presents its version of facts on the property?s history, alleging that Richard Tisei found a way around the lien by taking actions including suing his parents as a tactical move.The “conclusion” of the lengthy statement on the website?s home page reads, in part, “Richard Tisei has claimed that he remained completely ignorant of his parents? pervasive record of misdealings, investor fraud and deceiving creditors they legally wronged. This despite his receiving explicit and actual notice of his parents? illicit actions when Richard Tisei sued his parents and personally attempted to profiteer at the expense of innocent third parties.”Tisei, contacted for a response on Thursday, said, “This is obviously an attempt by John Tierney and his allies to create a smoke screen to take people?s attention away from the scandal that he is embroiled in. All I can say is, my father passed away 12 years ago and he is not here to defend himself.”Tisei added, “Going after my parents is just as low as you can go. I think voters will see through this and just reject it.”Regarding the 698 Main St. property, Tisei said, “There was a lien on the house and my parents ended up winning on appeal and the house was sold ? There was nothing improper about it. Nobody was defrauded.”Tisei said, “My father was never charged with a crime, was never convicted of a crime ? This is not a situation like the congressman?s family?s, where the congressman?s wife was convicted and sent to jail, his brother-in-law was convicted and sent to jail, and another brother-in-law faces 442 counts against him.”Tisei, meanwhile, said his campaign launched its own website, tierneystales.com, targeting Tierney Thursday, to draw attention to watchdog groups including Common Cause who are calling for an ethics investigation of Tierney.Tisei?s website comes several months after the Republican National Committee launched a site attacking Tierney, howcouldtierneynotknow.com.?John Tierney never reported any of the income (his wife