I am glad to see that Bulger finally came to his senses over this. I’d love to have a strong university president in place – but I’d prefer one that wasn’t tainted by this scandal with some real credibility.
A great move by Bulger – too bad it took so long for him to do.
William M. Bulger, the legendary strongman of state politics who has led the University of Massachusetts to new respectability during the last seven years, plans to announce today he will step down as UMass president following weeks of criticism over his role in the federal investigation of his fugitive mobster brother, James ”Whitey” Bulger, according to a person close to discussions between Bulger and UMass trustees.
Bulger has reluctantly concluded that his continued stewardship would do more harm than good at the five-campus university and that the demands for his resignation by Governor Mitt Romney — as well as Romney’s promise to appoint trustees who oppose Bulger — would only fracture the university leadership and demoralize students and alumni.
”The governor gets his three new [trustee] appointees in September, and Bulger and the board jointly recognize that it was in the university’s best interest not to allow this whole drama to continue,” the source said. [Boston Globe]