Let it be said, from the top, that I support our former state rep from Lower Mills Tommy Finneran. He was a solid representative for his district, a wonderful Ways and Means chairman who saw the state budget through some terrible shortages in the early 1990s, and a solid House Speaker for his years in that office.

He's also a good neighbor, a strong advocate for his Dorchester/Mattapan neighborhood, an obviously wonderful father and husband, and a bright, charming, smart and articulate man.

What he is not, despite what you might hear and read this week, is a liar.

There's a strong sense here that Tom Finneran is being targeted by people who practice that age-old political game, the art of payback. Finneran was tough while in office, and he caused some hurt feelings, especially among people whose political interests were not shared by him and his constituents. He was in power; they were not. Now he's out of office, and political vengeance reigns.

I had an insight into the depths of animosity towards Finneran in a brief encounter with an apparently thoughtful academic in Harvard Square just last month. I was introduced to her as a constituent of the retired Speaker, and was greeted by this woman professor whose eyes flashed with vitriol, as she said: "I hope they get him!"

There are haters out there, many of them seemingly thinking, educated people, for whom Tom Finneran has become the target of all their scorn. And this week, the Finneran-haters are triumphant and in their glory, thanks to the handing down of a four-count indictment against him.

It should be remembered that they are simply charges, unproven and untested, and Tom Finneran was quoted this week as saying he will not "lose any sleep" over them. He expects full vindication when the indictments are considered in a trial before 12 citizens.

The charges were announced on Monday by federal attorney Michael Sullivan, and there is reason to believe it is the first step in Sullivan's expected candidacy for governor. If that's accurate, it's not the first time a prosecutor with political ambitions has smeared the reputations of others for his own political gain. Sullivan, a Republican and a former state rep, would be following in the footsteps of former Republican Attorney General Edward Brooke, who similarly used a largely groundless campaign of indictments against Democrats to propel himself to a seat in the US Senate. Most of those charges by Brooke proved to be untrue, but not before more than a few personal reputations were soiled and careers badly damaged.

For now, suffice to say that I stand solidly in support of Tom Finneran as a man of great honesty and integrity. The truth will out, but it likely will take a year or more for this case to come to trial. By then, the intended damage will have been done, and the Finneran-bashers will have their day.

At the end of the day, those of us who know Tom Finneran know his character. We stand by him, just as he stood by this community for all these years.

- Ed Forry