City Council candidates say Turner should resign or be ousted
Both candidates vying to fill a vacant Boston City Council seat in a special election this month said they believe Councilor Chuck Turner, who was convicted last week of accepting a $1,000 bribe from an FBI informant, should resign.
If he does not, candidates Jim Hennigan and Matt O’Malley said, they would support his expulsion from the council in a meeting set for Dec. 1.
Turner was convicted in federal court Friday on four felony counts – one count of attempted extortion for allegedly accepting a bribe in 2007 and three counts of lying to the FBI – after a dramatic 13-day trial.
After Turner’s 2008 arrest, a rule adopted by City Council the following year requires a hearing when a member is convicted of a felony related to their official duties. Any punishment from the hearing requires a two-thirds vote, or nine members, for action.
The council rules do not specify, however, when the hearing must take place or what action the council can take.
Sitting council members have not been willing to respond on the record to questions about Turner's fate.
After advancing in a primary last month, Hennigan and O’Malley square off in a Nov. 16 special election for the District 6 City Council seat vacated by John Tobin, who resigned in July after nine years on the council to work for Northeastern University.
In phone conversations Wednesday, each candidate also said they feel expulsion would be the best disciplinary action for the council, and each agrees with the timing of the meeting that will determine Turner’s fate.
Turner, who represents District 7, has asked the council’s president to postpone the meeting until after his Jan. 25 sentencing. Should Turner only be sentenced to probation, he could complete his term, which runs through next year; if imprisoned, state law would force him out of office.
“I do feel that Councilor Turner should resign for the sake of his neighborhood, his community and the council,” Hennigan said, before adding, “I would vote to remove Councilor Turner.”
“It’s not by any means a personal thing,” Hennigan, a 56-year-old insurance salesman, emphasized. “He’s very dedicated to his community, neighborhood and district … [but] It’s at the point now where it’s not about one person … this is a very serious event. And, it’s a very serious offense.”
O'Malley, a 31-year-old political consultant, said: “I think that Councilor Turner should resign from the post. He’s been found guilty of very serious crimes that violated the public’s trust.”
He later added, “Unless something unexpected happened at the [Dec. 1] hearing, I would vote to expel Councilor Turner … I think it would be in the best interest of the city and District 7 … We must expect the best from our elected public officials. It would certainly be a tough vote, but that’s part of the job.”
Turner has said previously he may challenge the rule’s legality and that he has lawyers looking into it.
Turner has asserted his innocence and has received support from constituents. He has said he won’t appeal his criminal conviction, nor will he resign.
He continues to attend to his regular duties on the council, but has said he would not run for re-election in District 7, which includes Roxbury, Lower Roxbury, and parts of Fenway, the South End, and Dorchester.
See past coverage of the District 6 race, here.
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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