Dianne Wilkerson

Judge wants to know why the feds released those photos of Wilkerson, Turner

adamg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:39:58 -0400

You know the ones (yes, yes, this one and this one, among others). Associated Press reports a federal judge today basically asked federal prosecutors: Was that really necessary? Turner in particular has used the inclusion of the photos in the initial indictments as an argument against an order barring him from publicly discussing evidence in the case against him.

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Grand jury issues more charges against Wilkerson

adamg — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:43:23 -0400

Former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson was today charged with 23 new counts of mail and wire fraud, the US Attorney's office announced.

That brings the number of federal charges against Wilkerson for allegedly taking federal money from "Cooperating Witness" and local businessman Ron Wilborn to 32. The feds say the number of charges against City Councilor Chuck Turner remains set at five. Each faces the potential of spending the rest of their lives in prison if convicted on all the charges.

The new indictment actually relates entirely to the alleged improprieties with which the two were already charged. Instead, at least in the case of Wilkerson, it simply lays more charges on her. For example, each alleged use of e-mail or the telephone to press the case for Wilborn's club or, later, for development on a particular Roxbury parcel, now carries an individual charge.

Read the entire indictment.

Innocent, etc.

'The dishonorable Chuck Turner'

adamg — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:21:08 -0500

Ten minutes of ranting about how guilty Chuck Turner and Dianne Wilkerson are, from I-Power 617 Online:

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Call him the Uncooperating Witness

adamg — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:38:10 -0500

Adrian Walker scores another interview with Ron Wilborn, the Roxbury businessman who allegedly fed bribes to Dianne Wilkerson and Chuck Turner and who now says he will refuse to cooperate with the feds because he feels he was used to get a pair of black pols (and that he thinks Wilkerson's a crook but that Turner was just unlucky). He tells Walker he's angry no white politicians named in the indictments (and you may recall how prominently Boston Licensing Board Chairman Daniel Pokaski figured in the Wilkerson complaint) have been charged.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney's office says it has evidence against Wilkerson it's yet to produce publicly. The claim comes in a written answer the office filed in reply to Turner's effort to quash the government's effort to keep him from publicly discussing "discovery" evidence turned over to his attorneys:

[T]he discovery material contains a substantial amount of inculpatory evidence against Ms. Wilkerson which has not been the subject of prior pleadings, the selective release of which could inhibit her right to a fair trial.

A federal district court judge will hear arguments on whether to block Turner from speaking about this evidence on Feb. 25; Turner holds a pre-hearing rally at 6:30 p.m. on the 24th at Roxbury Community College.

Rich white folks sure liked Dianne Wilkerson

adamg — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:49:47 -0500

The Globe finds more "members of Boston's business elite" who helped the former state senator out even as they sought various favors from state agencies.

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Wilkerson took a lot more money

adamg — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:42:09 -0500

The Globe gets the exclusive interview; she says she didn't do anything for the $70,000 she got but never reported over the past ten years.

Jay Fitzgerald: Incredible:

... I didn't even know that 'personal fund-raising' had been apparently OK'd by the state's ethics commission. Wilkerson has two commission letters to prove it. ...

And, as Jay notes, this is something Richard Vitale is probably reading up on.

Wilkerson now claiming black ministers were out to get her

adamg — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:19:51 -0500

The Dorchester Reporter gets the scoop on a Dec. 17 meeting in Roxbury at which the former state senator accused the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston and the Boston Ten-Point Coalition of essentially conspiring to oust her from office.

Conspiracy? Wilkerson? Why does that sound familiar? It'll come to me. ...

Feds charge Turner, Wilkerson conspired to extort money

adamg — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:56:30 -0500

PolitickerMA reports on the indictment released today that charges Turner and Wilkerson with conspiring to extort money from the "Cooperating Witness," whom the feds are now calling "Witness A" and whom everybody else knows as Roxbury businessman Ron Wilburn.

Read the indictment.

The man who brought down Wilkerson, Turner expects more arrests

adamg — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:03:32 -0500

Ron Wilburn, the "Cooperating Witness," talks to the Globe's Adrian Walker. Fans of Boston political intrigue need to go read the interview now, if you haven't already.

Ed. Frequent Critic of Walker Note: Adrian, this makes up for all those columns on the Red Sox and beach erosion in Winthrop.

Wilkerson ruled indigent

adamg — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:18:22 -0500

J.M. Lawrence reports a magistrate made the ruling today in US District Court in Boston, which means taxpayers will pick up lawyer Max Stern's bill.