BREAKING NEWS: Wilkerson Asked To Immediately Resign

The State Senate wants Dianne Wilkerson to resign…today.

The state Senate passed a unanimous resolution this afternoon asking Democratic Senator Dianne Wilkerson to resign immediately following her arrest on charges she accepted eight bribes worth $23,500.

Lawmakers also stripped Wilkerson of her chairmanship of the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight and her committee assignments and asked the Senate Ethics Committee to explore the accusations made by the FBI after an 18-month corruption probe.

This morning before the vote, Wilkerson sent a letter to Senate President Therese Murray saying she would follow the will of the Senate. Wilkerson has not issued a public statement today, but on Wednesday she vowed to continue her write-in campaign to save the seat she has held for 15 years.

“These are very serious allegations against the senator,” Murray told reporters after the vote. “We are all upset about the taint and shadow of doubt cast upon the Senate and its members based on the allegations of one person. I want to assure the people of the Commonwealth that we are fully cooperating with law enforcement in this ongoing investigation. I’m comfortable and confident that the integrity of the senate, and my own integrity, will remain intact at the end of this ordeal.”

Fair enough, or is it?

The Massachusetts Republican Party is wondering why Jim Marzilli still gets to keep his job, and keeps receiving a paycheck.

“Today, the taxpayers of Massachusetts paid Jim Marzilli $180.10,” said MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington.

Note: The MassGOP Called on the State Senate to expel Jim Marzilli on July 1st.
Days elapsed since Marzilli’s indictment: 121
Days until Marzilli’s pension increases: 63
Cost of Senator Marzilli per day: $180.10
Total taxpayer cost since indictment: $21,792.10
For More information, visit MarzilliWatch.com

Senate President Lets Marzilli Keep Chairmanship, Stipend

Senator Bob Hedlund (R-Weymouth) asked Senate President Therese Murray to take away Senator James Marzilli’s chairmanship, citing that he is “clearly incapable of fulfulling his duties as chairman…I cannot think of a single argument why the taxpayers of Massachusetts should be paying for a chairmanship stipend to a senator who is incapable of fulfilling his duties and who has announced he does not plan to return to the Senate.”

Sounds reasonable, but Murray will do no such thing, and Marzilli will continue to take his $7,500 tax-payer funded stipend.

“The Senate has a process in place through its Committee on Ethics and Rules to discipline a senator if and when a legal matter is resolved,” said Murray spokesman David Falcone when asked about Hedlund’s letter yesterday.

The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating whether Marzilli (D-Arlington) should be removed from office but won’t make findings public until after the charges against him are settled in court.

Marzilli will have a tough time fulfilling his chairmanship duties from McLean Hospital, let alone his duties as a state senator. Seeing as Marzilli was caught trying to grab several woman and ask them for sex, it’s not going out on a limb to suggest that this is political backscratching.

Considering this is Senator Marzilli, maybe there is more than backscratching going on…

Wilkerson Challenger Samiyah Diaz Calls For Wilkerson To Resign

Via press release:

DIAZ CALLS ON WILKERSON TO RESIGN

Says Perjury Investigation and Slur on Detectives Should Not Wait Until After Election

SOUTH END– In the wake of revelations that disgraced incumbent Senator Dianne Wilkerson is under investigation for perjury arising from statements she made to attempt to beat her nephew’s manslaughter conviction, coupled with Wilkerson’s accusation that the story was released to distract attention from what she described as “cokehead cops”, challenger Samiyah Diaz today called on Wilkerson immediately to resign from the Senate. If Wilkerson fails to resign, Diaz has called for the Senate Democrats to censure Wilkerson and remove her from her seat.

“Senator Wilkerson’s remark that the perjury investigation is merely to distract public attention from ‘cokehead cops’ is further proof that she is unfit for office,” said Diaz. “The actions of a few bad apples should not be allowed to tarnish the entire police department,” said Diaz, “just like Wilkerson’s actions no longer should be permitted to tarnish the institution of the Senate and to disgrace the citizens of our district.”.

“This is not her word against the police,” observed Diaz, “she made statements that are contradicted by a tape recording and confirmed by a Superior Court Judge.”. “It’s past time for Wilkerson to go,” said Diaz.

If Wilkerson refuses to resign, Diaz said that three things should occur to prevent a fraud on the voters before the November election:

1. The Senate Ethics Committee should investigate and deliver its report before October 15 to give time for voters “to know the truth” about Wilkerson. At a minimum, Wilkerson should publicly apologize for her “cokehead cops” statement. If perjury is shown, the Senate should immediately bar her from her seat.

2. Wilkerson’s campaign finance fraud trial, currently scheduled for after the election, should be advanced to trial in October. “It is outrageous to think that a full airing of allegations of Wilkerson’s fraud would be delayed until after the election,” said Diaz, “the people have a right to know the truth about Wilkerson before they are asked to give her their vote.”

3. The Suffolk DA’s office should present the facts to a Grand Jury without delay. “Even if there is not time for a criminal trial on perjury,” said Diaz, “the fact of an indictment is something the voters deserve to know.
No one should enable this type of conduct by a public official. This is too serious and too important for Democratic politicians to protect their own.”

Diaz is running unopposed for the GOP nomination in Boston’s Second Suffolk Senate District, which includes the neighborhoods of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End, Chinatown, Fenway, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mission Hill. Additionally, because Wilkerson failed to collect enough signatures to be listed on the Democratic primary ballot, Diaz also is running a competing write in sticker campaign against Wilkerson to attempt to win the seat at the September 19 election.

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