Chuck Turner

On taking wives out to dinner

adamg — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:41:51 -0500

Kevin McCrea notes Chuck Turner's alleged sloppiness in collecting money (that affidavit suggests he had several opportunities to get money but kept losing the guy's phone number), wonders if his alleged sin is really so different from other things going on in Boston:

... But, is it more wrong than Michael Flaherty actively working for a lawfirm that handles zoning matters in the City of Boston while he sits on the Boston City Council? Is it more wrong than Boston Mayor Tom Menino putting a level 4 Biolab in the heart of Boston? Menino has taken thousands of campaign funds over the years from Walsh Construction and their associates and family, and has received much help from the BU people who are going to profit from this. He has surely been able to legally "take his wife to dinner" more than once on those thousands of contributed funds and call it a campaign expense. Was there Quid Pro Quo there, which could put tens of thousands of people at risk for their lives? ...

Gotta hand it to Chuck Turner

adamg — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:09:19 -0500

FBI photo allegedly showing City Councilor Chuck Turner taking a $1,000 bribe.

Read the FBI affidavit in the case against Chuck Turner.

According to the affidavit, which is almost as much about Dianne Wilkerson as Chuck Turner (and is written by the same FBI agent handling her case), Turner initially did very little to help Wilkerson and "the CW" - a.k.a. businessman turned FBI informant Ron Wilburn - get a liquor license for Wilburn's proposed Dejavu club in the Crosstown center. But after some conversations with Wilkerson, the affidavit states, Turner began working actively to get a license for the club. And then Wilburn visited Turner in Turner's office on Aug. 3, 2007 for a chat - that the FBI recorded:

The CW said to Turner that he had told Wilkerson that he intended to stop by and show his gratitude to Turner. The CW also told Turner that he intended to show his gratitude again after the planned city council hearing. The CW then handed Turner $1,000 in cash and said, "you take the wife to dinner and ... have some fun." Turner accepted the money, while smiling and nodding his head, and responded, "okay." The CW also said, "I just want you to know that ... you take care of me, I take care of you.

The affidavit said the case consisted of five $100 bills and ten $50 bills, all marked.

On Sept. 12, 2007, the affidavit states, CW visited Turner at his City Hall office:

Just prior to his meeting with Turner, one of Turner's assistants asked the CW his name. The assistant then said: "I'm gonna ask you one question ... Is it money?" When the CW falsely responded "no," the assistant explained that money could not be provided in City Hall.

The assistant then took the CW to the lobby outside the City Council chambers. When Turner came out, the CW couldn't give Turner cash because the aide was standing right there, so instead Turner asked the aide to take down the CW's number so they could have lunch.

Nothing further came of that, but on Oct. 28 - the day Wilkerson was arrested - FBI agents showed up at Turner's office to interview him about his role in the Dejavu license affair:

When asked by agents, Turner repeatedly denied ever being offered money by the CW and denied accepting any money from the CW. Near the end of the interview, Turner reiterated, "no one offered me any money." Turner said that while he never accepted any money from the CW, he noted the pervasiveness of corruption among politicians. "If you took out all corrupt politicians, you'd take out 90% and be left with us 10%."

Innocent, etc.

City Councilor Chuck Turner arrested at City Hall

oddjob60 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:33:19 -0500

Several reports say it's related to the Wilkerson bribery case. They tried to arrest him at home last night, but he wasn't there.

The Globe reports he'll be charged with extortion and lying to FBI agents in a sting related to Wilkerson's manipulations to get a liquor license for "CW," also known as Ron Wilburn, for his Dejavu club at the Crosstown center on Melnea Cass Boulevard.

To be arraigned in Worcester, of all places.

Take a look at this Jamaica Plain Gazette interview from Nov. 10 in which Turner accused the feds of trying to set him up.

The affidavit in the Wilkerson case doesn't specifically mention Turner. However, in a section on bribery related to a proposed development on Harrison Avenue, it does state:

Associate A also explained that Wilkerson "orchestrates" the "small timers" including a second named member of the House of Representatives and a named Boston City Councilor. Associate A suggested that each of those individuals should be paid $1,000. Associate A agreed to make introductions to the relevant politicians so that UC2 or UC3 could make payments to them. However, Associate A cautioned, "ninety-nine percent of the times, these people would, would accept or receive these things fro a source that tey're comfortable with."

Associate A has been identified as developer Azid Mohammed. UC2 and UC3 were undercover FBI agents (more Wilkerson players). The section raises the question: If this is what Turner was indicted for, are there a couple of state reps who should be worrying about an early morning knock on their doors?

Innocent, etc.

Chuck Turner: FBI tried to set him up in a Wilkerson sting

adamg — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:07:34 -0500

The Jamaica Plain Gazette interviews Turner; he says an undercover FBI agent visited his City Hall office with a hidden camera. Turner also compares the way the FBI dealt with Wilkerson and him to the way the FBI went after Martin Luther King in the 1960s.

Chuck Turner's About to Defend Diane Wilkerson Right Now on BNN 23. Will you support his defense for Wilkerson?

Williams35 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:29:20 -0400

* Hell No! * Yes! * I Could Care Less!

Chuck Turner stands by Wilkerson

adamg — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:43:16 -0400

Boston Daily gets ahold of Councilor Turner, who tells the media to look up what Jesus said about juries or something and leave poor Wilkerson alone, judge not and all that. He also says he wouldn't support Sonia Chang-Diaz because she lives in a white neighborhood:

She's not part of our district.

Now what about Rep. Byron "Z" Rushing?

Chuck Turner subpoenaed in Wilkerson probe

adamg — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:40:45 -0400

The Herald reports City Councilor and prominent Dianne Wilkerson supporter Chuck Turner has been subpoenaed as part of the federal investigation into Sen. Dianne Wilkerson (and props to the Herald editor who came up with the "BUSTED" headline atop one of those surveillance photos).

And among the things the feds wanted in particular were all records related to Turner's contacts with developers who might have had dealings with Wilkerson, including Arthur Winn, who is responsible for that giant hole in the ground where Columbus Center on the South End/Back Bay line was supposed to go. Wilkerson was a prominent backer of this Norwegian Blue of Boston developments, which got some state financial backing before it went into suspension. Also requested: anything related to a developer to whom Wilkerson tried to get the state to sell some land on Harrison Avenue - for which Wilkerson is now charged with taking bribes from undercover FBI agents.

As the Herald notes, the government was casting "a wide net" in the subpoena, not that it was accusing anybody besides Wilkerson of any wrongdoing.

WTKK's Michele McPhee defends Sonia-Chang Diaz

Williams35 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:24:15 -0400

Sonia Chang-Diaz, could be on her way as the first Latina-American to become a state senator, representing the 2nd Suffolk District of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill and others.

Meanwhile, Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner (African-American) blasted the "Soon-To-Be" first ever Latina on her way to becoming the next State Senator; calling Chang-Diaz "A Non-Latina" with no kind of Latino blood background in her whatsoever.

Chuck Turner: Chang-Diaz just a white carpetbagger backed by bitter Hillary fans

adamg — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:21:06 -0400

Councilor Turner tells PoltickerMA that he doubts Sonia Chang-Diaz is really Latina and that her support really comes from white women who can't stand the idea that a black man could get into the White House instead of Hillary Clinton.

Needless to say, Turner is backing incumbent Dianne Wilkerson in her sticker campaign, calling her "a treasured resource" the 2nd Suffolk District - or rather, real blacks and Latinos in the district - can't afford to give up.

Ban machetes?

adamg — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:10:30 -0400

City Councilor Chuck Turner notes the absence of sugar-cane fields in Boston and so proposes banning the giant knives.