Wilkerson Watch: Who's Who?
If you can't keep track of the cast surrounding State Senator Dianne Wilkerson's arrest on federal bribery charges and subsequent decision to continue the sticker campaign to retain her seat, you are not alone. Bostonist's head has been swimming for days.
Not to worry. Bloggers with clearer heads have pieced the whole thing together for us. For the dramatis personæ involved in the bribery scandal itself, check out Universal Hub's handy list of informed speculations. (UHub guru Adam Gaffin may even have uncovered the alias used by one of the FBI agents in the case.) The big shocker? "Representative Z" might be beloved Roxbury Representative Byron Rushing.
If you are more interested in the political fallout, turn your attention to PolitckerMA, which has been keeping track of which politicians still support Wilkerson and which have bailed.
U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano (whose district includes the Second Suffolk, which Wilkerson represents) told the site "I think that in this particular case at this particular time everybody would be better served if Dianne just focused on her personal, criminal issues and let the government issues move on." (Link.)
City Councilor Sam Yoon has stayed uncommitted in Wilkerson's race, not endorsing either candidate despite the allegations. City Councilor Michael Ross, on the other hand, has already voted for Wilkerson's opponent Sonia Chang-Diaz in absentee balloting. State Representative Marty Walsh has also shifted his allegiance to Chang-Diaz.
The biggest news of the day, however, might have been broken by the Globe, who claims that State Senator Michael Morrissey, a Democrat from Quincy whose records have been subpoenaed by the FBI in the case, might move to oust Wilkerson from the Senate.
Filed in News and tagged Byron Rushing, corruption, Dianne Wilkerson, FBI, Marty Walsh, Michael Capuano, Michael Morrissey, Michael Ross, PolitickerMA, Sam Yoon, Sonia Chang-Diaz, Universal Hub
