Best of Boston

1999 Best Power Play

Wayne Budd, New England group president, Bell Atlantic

Lucky him: He contributes mightily to the winning campaign of his high school buddy and former law partner, Attorney General Tom Reilly; then he gets appointed by Governor Cellucci to chair the committee screening nominees to the Supreme Judicial Court—at a time when the SJC and the AG’s office will be reviewing competition to the phone company.