October 30, 2008 — vol. 44, no 12
Wilkerson shuts down Senate campaign
State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson announced Friday afternoon that she was ending her bid for re-election to the Second Suffolk District's state Senate seat. Wilkerson's decision to shut down her campaign came after her arrest Tuesday morning on charges that she accepting $23,500 in bribes from undercover agents that she believed were local businessmen. (Don West photo)
State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson announced Friday afternoon that she was ending her campaign for re-election, three days after her arrest by federal agents on charges that she accepted $23,500 in bribes.Wilkerson delivered her announcement at the Charles Street A.M.E. Church in Roxbury following a meeting with prominent members of the city’s black religious community.
“As of this moment today … I am certainly announcing the suspension, the termination, cessation — I want to make it clear that I am ending any further campaign,” she said, according to the Boston Globe.
The announcement comes amid a slew of calls for the 15-year incumbent to resign her state Senate seat as the representative of the Second Suffolk District, which includes parts of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester and the South End.
Wilkerson said Friday she has not yet decided whether she would step down or serve out the rest of her elected term, but promised an announcement next Wednesday, the day after the Nov. 4 general election.
FBI agents arrested Wilkerson at her Boston home Tuesday on charges of attempted extortion as a public official and theft of honest services as a state senator. She faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on each count.
An FBI affidavit included a series of still photographs from video recordings allegedly showing Wilkerson accepting bribes, in one case stuffing cash inside her bra. The alleged bribes were intended to garner Wilkerson’s assistance in obtaining a liquor license and pushing legislation on behalf of a developer, according to the affidavit.
The announcement marks another chapter in the saga of Wilkerson, 53, who lost the Sept. 16 state Democratic primary to Sonia Chang-Díaz despite the support of Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Boyce Slayman, Wilkerson’s campaign manager, told reporters outside the Charles Street church that her decision was made for the good of the Roxbury community and her family.
“This is a very difficult time for her,” he said.
Some, including Wilkerson, had questioned the FBI’s timing. U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan said it was coincidental the complaint was filed a week before the election.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Wilkerson was recorded by audio and videotape accepting bribes in exchange for helping a proposed nightclub in her district get a liquor license.
She also allegedly accepted payments for helping another undercover officer posing as a businessman who wanted to develop state property in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood.
Sullivan said Wilkerson accepted eight payments, ranging from $500 to $10,000, during the 17-month investigation.
Tuesday’s arrest was the most serious in a sting of ethical and criminal violations committed by Wilkerson during her 15-year tenure as state senator.
Just last week, the state Bar Counsel filed a complaint against Wilkerson accusing her of lying under oath in an effort to overturn her nephew’s voluntary manslaughter conviction. The penalty could include disbarment.
Over the years, she has also faced accusations of failing to account for donations and personal reimbursements, failing to pay federal income taxes and failure to properly report consultant fees she received from a bank that she lobbied for.
Horace Small, executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, on Friday compared Wilkerson’s fall to “a marriage that has been in turmoil for a long time.”
“You’ve been with her for a long time, and tried to work out your differences,” Small told the Globe. “But at some point, you’ve got to say, ‘Baby, I love you, but I got to let you go.’ Breaking up is hard to do.”
Associated Press writers Glen Johnson, Denise Lavoie and Steve LeBlanc contributed to this report.
related content
Wilkerson arrested on federal corruption charges
The state’s lone black senator who lost the Democratic primary last month was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and charged with accepting $23,500 in bribes from undercover agents she believed were local businessmen. More »
Read the full affidavit
Following their arrest of state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson on Tuesday morning, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents released a 32-page affidavit detailing the charges of public corruption that the 15-year incumbent now faces. You can read the full affidavit laying out the government's case here. NOTE: The affidavit is presented in PDF format, and Adobe Reader is required to read it. You can download the latest version here.
EDITORIAL: End of an era
"The Bay State Banner has always endorsed [state Sen. Dianne] Wilkerson's achievements, even though her administrative irregularities were troubling," the Banner wrote in its Oct. 30, 2008 editorial. "But now, Wilkerson has been arrested by the FBI and Boston police, and stands charged with the felony of extorting payment from constituents for official services ... It is evident that Wilkerson has breached the public trust. Consequently, the Banner can no longer support Wilkerson for public office." More »
