After Common Cause Massachusetts Executive Director Pam Wilmot called for a federal investigation of Finneran’s testimony, news reports revealed that US attorneys are investigating the speaker.

While many political observers are questioning Finneran’s exact motives for departure, state Rep. Byron Rushing says House members have been given no clear answer.

“We don’t know why is the real answer,” Rushing said. “Whether this is coming from pressure or anticipation of what the US attorney could do, we don’t know.”

Rushing, a long-time opponent of the speaker, instead focused on the future of the State House.

“The thing people of color can be happy about is that the ideological leadership of the House is going to be closer to where they are,” he said. “That’s good. We don’t need to be fighting with leadership in the State House.”

Rushing said Finneran’s departure and his replacement by Rep. Salvatore DiMasi would likely bring more openness to the legislative process at the State House.

“The average state rep. is going to have more influence in the House. The process is going to be more democratic,” he said.

While Finneran pursued a conservative agenda in the House and gained a reputation for stifling debate on the House floor, DiMasi is largely seen as being more responsive to the progressive elements in his district. DiMasi’s electoral base is widely seen as being the traditionally Italian-American North End, but his district also includes part of Beacon Hill, much of the South End including the Cathedral public housing development and Boston City Hospital.

Rushing, who led a coalition of progressive state Reps in opposition to Finneran, said the progressive lawmakers and those representing people of color would likely have more influence under DiMasi.

“All of the progressives are going to work to keep Sal focussed on the needs of the poor, working class people and people of color,” Rushing said.

And the fact that DiMasi is Italian is a promising sign in a state where politics has traditionally been controlled by Yankees and Irish-Americans.

“He’s the first Italian-American speaker of the House,” Rushing commented. “This is important. We should see this as a move toward diversity.”

In his move to the Biotechnology Council, Finneran is working with an industry that has contributed greatly to his campaigns. Although he has rarely faced an opponent, Finneran has a campaign war chest of $513, 892 and a Political Action Committee — Speaker Finneran’s House Victory PAC — with $114,816 in its coffers.

Since 1999, Finneran has received at least $48,450 from biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations, according to an analysis conducted by the Commonwealth Coalition. Because Finneran has not reported on the sources of 40 percent of his contributions, the exact dollar amount of his health industry contributions is impossible to determine.

Finneran, who expressed strong opposition to legislation that would have supported the importation of medications from Canada, is forbidden from lobbying elected officials on behalf of the Biotechnology Council for one year under state ethics laws.

Because Finneran’s name will appear on the November ballot, prospective candidates will either have to wage a write-in campaign, or wait for a special election to be called following the November balloting.

Since news of Finneran’s impending departure from the State House began to spread late last week, Department of Neighborhood Development employee Linda Dorcena Forry began making phone calls seeking support in a bid for the seat. Emmanuel Bellgarde, an aide to state Sen. Jack Hart, is also publicly mulling a run for the seat as are State House attorney Eric Donovan and attorney Charles Tevnan.

“Whoever steps forward as a candidate, the key to winning the seat is that you have to be able to unite the Dorchester and Mattapan sides of the district in a way that demonstrates the common interests,” commented political activist Ron Marlow, a Mattapan native.