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Kogut announces DA bid from steps of his Forest Park home

Date: 4/12/2010

April 12, 2010

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD -- Attorney and former Assistant Attorney General Michael Kogut first ran for district attorney 20 years ago when he lost to present District Attorney William Bennett by a margin of less than 500 votes.

Two decades later he believes the experience he has gained has prepared him even better for the job.

Kogut made the official announcement he was joining the five-man race on April 6. All of the candidates so far are Democrats with the exception of attorney Mark Mastroianni, who is running as an independent.

"There are those who have said the office of district attorney is 'struggling with too few resources to deal with poverty, despair and terrible crimes.' I am not one of them. I absolutely reject the notion that we cannot do more to make our streets, our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces and our homes safe from crime and safe from the fear of crime. I absolutely reject the notion that we are powerless to meet these challenges," Kogut said at the announcement from the front porch of his Forest Park home.

Kogut is a Ludlow native who has lived in Springfield for 25 years. He is a graduate of Springfield College and the Western New England College School of Law. Kogut said he has always had an interest in the office and believes his time with two attorneys general gives him "a really different perspective."

Kogut was an assistant attorney general under Frank Bellotti and Scott Harshbarger. With Harshbarger, he was the director of the Medicaid Fraud Unit where he directed a team of 35 people. He was the first assistant attorney general for elder protection. He also served as an assistant district attorney in Worcester County.

One goal, if elected, is to modernize the district attorney's office, he said. He noted it has no Web site and it "needs to reach out [to people.]"

"As district attorney, I will mobilize the resources and talents of organizations and institutions throughout all of Hampden County and beyond. This joint effort will ensure there is tough, swift and certain justice, protecting the rights of victims. We need to prevent crimes before they happen and we need to rehabilitate so that those who rejoin our community will be productive members of our community," he said.

Since the issue of obtaining more adequate state funding for the office is a theme among the candidates for district attorney, Kogut lobbed a criticism at State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti, who recently announced his race for the office. He said the office is underfunded and that Buoniconti as a state senator representing part of the county "failed miserably" in securing additional funds.

"I will fight for more money for Hampden County," Kogut said.

Kogut has a Web site at www.votemikekogut.com and is on Facebook at Mike Kogut for DA.