Wilkerson vows to stay in race
Decries timing of bribery case; federal investigation widens
State Senator Dianne Wilkerson vowed yesterday to remain in her reelection fight despite her arrest this week on federal corruption charges and the release of photos allegedly depicting her accepting cash bribes, accusing US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan of engaging in a "political calculus" to derail her campaign.
Wilkerson remained out of public view yesterday, but in a brief statement handed out by campaign volunteers at her headquarters in Roxbury, the Democrat urged voters to stick with her in Tuesday's election after 15 years in office.
"Not only does this represent the biggest challenge in my personal and political life, but it will test to the limit the notion of innocent until proven guilty," Wilkerson said in the statement.
Yet even as she sought to salvage her political career, the investigation into her activities blossomed into a much broader investigation as federal authorities blanketed the State House and City Hall with subpoenas yesterday. Agents also delivered a subpoena to the developers of Columbus Center, a major project Wilkerson supported.
A subpoena obtained yesterday by the Globe cast a wide net for records related to a liquor license deal and land development legislation that Wilkerson allegedly helped orchestrate. The documents were requested for a federal grand jury hearing Nov. 11.
The subpoena, which went to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, asks for records of communications the committee has had since March 1, 2007, with Wilkerson and anyone on her staff; Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Councilor Chuck Turner; Eddie Jenkins Jr., chairman of the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission; Daniel Pokaski, chairman of the Boston Licensing Board; Senator Anthony Petruccelli, an East Boston Democrat; former councilor at large Felix Arroyo; developer Arthur Winn; and Stephen V. Miller, a lawyer who frequently appears before the Boston Licensing Board.
The subpoena also asks for all records reflecting the daily activities of Senator Michael W. Morrissey, Democrat of Quincy, from May 15, 2007, through June 1, 2008, including calendar entries, meeting notes, and telephone notes. Morrissey is cochairman of the Consumer Protection Committee and is alleged to be among the politicians Wilkerson persuaded to help her secure a liquor license for a Roxbury nightclub.
"I am cooperating fully with any requests the US attorney has, and I'd be happy to meet with them to discuss the case," Morrissey said in an interview yesterday.
Senate President Therese Murray also received a subpoena, and the state's technology division was told to preserve all e-mail records pertaining to Wilkerson, Murray, and Morrissey, according to State House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Murray refused to comment yesterday. Most other officials and individuals who received subpoenas or were named in subpoenas either could not be reached or declined to comment.
Aside from Wilkerson, no one has been accused of wrongdoing, but the FBI has not ruled out further investigations.
Another State House official said a subpoena was sent to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, and the agency was visited by FBI agents Tuesday. In addition, agents sought to talk with Jenkins, the commission's chairman, on Tuesday. Jenkins, who was not there at the time, had prior dealings with Wilkerson on the licensing issue involved in the alleged bribes, said the State House official.
At City Hall this week, federal investigators interviewed Turner in his office. City Council President Maureen Feeney was ordered to turn over her calendar and telephone records for a period of "several months."
Menino confirmed yesterday that he had also received a subpoena for records in the case.
"We're all shocked," he said.
The explosion of activity originated 18 months ago, when the FBI began an investigation into whether Wilkerson was taking cash payments from constituents and others with business before the state Senate. Federal agents charged her Tuesday with accepting eight bribes totaling $23,500 to secure a liquor license that can sell for $300,000 on the open market and legislation to pave the way for a towering Roxbury development.
Wilkerson remained elusive through most of the day yesterday, as she tried to figure out whether to continue her efforts to revive her political career.
The lights were on, but the doors were locked for most of her day at her campaign headquarters. No one answered at her stately lime-green and yellow-trim home near Franklin Park, and she did not answer a cellphone that had a full voice mailbox. Her lawyer, attorney, Max Stern, declined to comment.
Just before 4 p.m., a campaign worker cracked open the door of Wilkerson's headquarters and handed out a brief statement.
"While there is great curiosity about the particulars of my case I am not at liberty to discuss them for obvious reasons," her statement said. "For those of you who must be thinking, 'There has to be more to this story,' of course there is. But it is not a story that I am able or willing to lay out in the press."
In addition to announcing her plans to continue her campaign, Wilkerson attacked Sullivan.
"From a purely political perspective, it seems a lot of people, including myself, have seriously underestimated US Attorney Sullivan's political calculus," Wilkerson said. "In one fell swoop and even before an indictment had been returned, he's sought to imperil my reelection campaign, and has set much of the state's Democratic Leadership back on its heels. He brought this issue forward at this time knowing full well that I would never have an opportunity to have my day in court prior to November 4."
Sullivan, a former Republican state legislator and Plymouth County district attorney, would not comment yesterday in response to Wilkerson's statement, said his spokeswoman. At a press conference Tuesday announcing the charges against Wilkerson, he denied any link between the timing of the arrest and the election.
"It's coincidental that this happened one week before the election," Sullivan said.
Some residents in Wilkerson's district did not seem eager to send her back to office.
"I think she's looking for the pity vote," said Jimmy McNeill, a 63-year-old retired MBTA worker from Roxbury. "She's like a boxer. When does he quit? When he can't think for himself."
Still, several people said the allegations leveled against her were politically motiviated.
"I've given her staunch support and I'm going to stay loyal," said Dave Goodman, a 43-year-old Roxbury resident who said even photos and audio can be doctored.
Deborah Shah, the campaign manager for Sonia Chang-Díaz, who beat Wilkerson in the Democratic primary and has been trying to fend off a vigorous write-in campaign by Wilkerson, said, "We are now, as we've always been, focused on our own campaign rather than Senator Wilkerson's campaign."
In addition to subpoenas of multiple government officials and agencies, federal authorities have also subpoenaed information from WinnCompanies, a development firm owned by Arthur Winn, a longtime political benefactor of Wilkerson's, according to a source with knowledge of the subpoena.
Arthur Winn declined a request to be interviewed through a spokesman. WinnCompanies also declined to comment. The source, who described the subpoena as a broad request for information, said it does not request any records or communications relating to Columbus Center, an $800 million development Winn is trying to build over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston.
Donovan Slack, Casey Ross, Andrea Estes, Frank Phillips, Jonathan Saltzman, and John C. Drake of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at MaViser@globe.com. 