Digital Bulletin

PROVIDENCE -- When John Celona became part of the Rhode Island Senate leadership in 2001, he testified today, he asserted his newfound power on behalf of his employer, Roger Williams Medical Center.

Celona's assertions came during his third day of testimony in the corruption trial of Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, both former hospital executives, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr. They are charged with stealing his honest services as a state senator from North Providence.

Journal photo / Bob Thayer

Former state Sen. John Celona arrives at the federal courthouse in Providence today for his third day testifying for the prosecution.

Celona read memos recounting how he tried to pressure Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, on Urciuoli’s instructions, to increase its reimbursement payments to Roger Williams. He said that he did so at the direction of Urciuoli, then the president of Roger Williams.

As the new chairman of the Senate Corporations Committee, Celona had the power to advance or kill bills of importance to a myriad of companies, including Blue Cross and United Healthcare, which were each embroiled in a dispute with Roger Williams over insurance payments.

When it appeared in December of 2000 that he would become the Corporations committee chairman, Celona testified that he gave the good news to Urciuoli, adding, "As you know, all the health-care legislation goes through Corporations."

Celona read from an e-mail he sent Urciuoli in 2001, in which he wrote that he was "still keeping the pressure on Blue Cross and will continue to do so until they start telling the truth and acting fairly."

Celona also wrote Urciuoli that Blue Cross president Ron Battista had asked to appear on the senator’s cable-access television show, but that Celona would not allow him on the show until Blue Cross "came to the table" and negotiated with Roger Williams.

Asked how he was keeping the pressure on Blue Cross, Celona replied, "They were pushing their legislation, and it was a time that they needed it to be passed."

Earlier today, Celona recounted other legislation he got involved with on the instructions of Driscoll and Sangermano.

He testified that he even introduced a bill regulating jet skis at the behest of two board members at Roger Williams who had complained about jet skis "at their summer homes or permanent homes."

Asst. U.S. Atty. Luis Matos told the judge at the lunch break today that he expected to question Celona for another one to one-and-a-half hours. That leaves it open whether Urciuoli’s lawyer, Richard M. Egbert, will begin cross-examining Celona later today or whether he will have to wait until Monday.

The trial is in its fifth day and is expected to go five weeks.

-- Journal staff writer MIke Stanton