State Representative Thomas Petrolati (D-Ludlow) is fighting a subpoena he received for allegedly securing jobs for his allies in the Massachusetts Probation Department.

Petrolati, nicknamed the "king of patronage" by fellow Mass. legislators, was seen as uniquely skilled at getting friends and allies jobs at the probation department during the tenure of Probation Commissioner John Brien. Petrolati has denied any improper behavior.

John Pucci, Petrolati's lawyer, argued in front of the Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday that the subpoena may cause a constitutional crisis and that Paul Ware, the independent counsel appointed by the SJC to investigate cronyism in the probation department, has no authority to subpoena anyone but current employees of the court and probation systems.

The Boston Globe reported that Petrolati's wife, Kathleen, former aide Andre Pereira and the husband of aide Colleen Ryan and others all work for probation, receiving jobs that paid $74,000 or more.

However, Petrolati told the SJC that he only recommends qualified persons for jobs and does not have the power over the probation agency to place people in the department, according to The Globe. Petrolati is the speaker pro-tempore and third-ranking leader in the House of Representatives.