DC leaders but paid by the Sicilian Region. Like Laura Abbadessa, the president of the party in Sicily who in the last two years has had consultancy contracts with the Department of the Family led by Nuccia Albano (DC), Francesca Donato, national vice president of the Scudocrociate, also has a contractual relationship but with the other councilor in the DC quota, Andrea Messina who has the delegation for the Civil Service.
From the councilor’s documents it emerges that Donato, elected to the top of the DC in May two years ago, in April of this year signed a contract with the department as coordinator of the technical secretariat of the Messina councilor, with a salary of over 42 thousand euros. In a letter published by «la Repubblica di Palermo», Francesca Donato intervenes on the investigation by the Palermo Prosecutor’s Office which requested house arrest for 18 suspects including Totò Cuffaro and Carmelo Pace, leader of the DC group in the Sicilian Assembly, for criminal association, corruption and disruption. «Those of us (the vast majority of DC members) were unaware of the contested dynamics, today cannot simply remain silent, nor pronounce the usual ritual phrases – writes Donato -. Given the seriousness of the accusations against those who led our party until yesterday, and in light of what is reported in the wiretaps in the documents, we cannot hide our heads in the sand. As painful as it is, we must have the courage to say what we really feel and think. Personally, I am pervaded by feelings of anger, disgust and pain.”