By Associated Press
October, 31 2008
BOSTON – The Massachusetts state senator who was photographed
by the FBI allegedly stuffing bribe money under her sweater
ended her write-in campaign for re-election on Friday.
Hours later, Gov. Deval Patrick announced a series of ethics
and lobbying reforms in state government.
Dianne Wilkerson announced her decision three days after she
was arrested by FBI agents — and two days after she vowed
to continue campaigning against Sonia Chang-Diaz, who beat
her in the Democratic primary.
"I am withdrawing from the race. We will not be doing
any work or effort on the write-in," Wilkerson said during
a news conference at a Boston church, where she met with members
of the Black Ministerial Alliance and the Boston Ten-Point
Coalition who had urged her to resign.
The senator would not say if she would resign but said she
would make another announcement Wednesday, the day after the
election. On Thursday, the Senate voted to seek her resignation,
and Patrick, who had endorsed her in the primary, said he agreed
with the action.
"I'm making no decision and no discussion about that
today," Wilkerson said of possibly stepping down.
Patrick also announced Friday the creation of an ethics and
lobbying reform panel headed by his chief legal counsel, Ben
Clements.
"In a successful democracy, the currency of government
is not money, it's integrity," Patrick said.
He called on members of the public to take on incumbents and
volunteer for public service.
But he said he was justified in supporting Wilkerson for re-election — despite
her prior federal tax evasion conviction and a $10,000 state
campaign finance fine in August — because she was the
first public official "who stepped out for my improbable
campaign" for governor.
"If you're asking me if I would have endorsed the senator
based on what I know now, the answer is, `Of course not.' Of
course I'm embarrassed by it," Patrick said.
Wilkerson is charged with attempted extortion as a public
official and theft of honest services as a state senator. She
is accused of accepting $23,500 in bribes from undercover agents
she believed were businessmen.
In one case, she allegedly took the money in return for helping
a businessman, working as an FBI informant, seek a liquor license.
In another case, she was accused of taking bribes in exchange
for helping two undercover agents get legislation allowing
them to develop a property in her district.
Earlier this month, Wilkerson allegedly accepted $10,000 to
aid in her write-in campaign.
An FBI affidavit included a series of still photographs from
video recordings allegedly showing Wilkerson accepting the
money, in one case stuffing cash inside her bra.
Chang-Diaz, a former teacher, defeated Wilkerson in the September
primary. The other candidate on the ballot is William Leonard,
who is running under the banner of the Socialist Workers Party.
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