Oct 31, 2008 5:15 pm US/Eastern
Wilkerson Withdraws From Senate Race
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Wilkerson made the announcement at a news conference at the Charles St. AME Church in Roxbury with leaders from the anti-crime Boston TenPoint Coalition and the Black Ministerial Alliance.
WBZ
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In this photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office as evidence, Wilkerson allegedly accepted a bribes from an undercover agent.
U.S. Attorney's Office
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Embattled
state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson said Friday she is withdrawing from her race for re-election, but she did not resign, despite being under intense pressure to step down.
ENDING CAMPAIGN, NOT QUITTING
"As of this moment today, I am certainly announcing the suspension, the termination, the cessation - I want to make it clear - that we are suspending any further campaign. I am withdrawing from this campaign."
"The discussion that has been swirling around resignation, I am making no decision and no discussion about that today."
"What I will commit to you is that we will have that discussion and an announcement on Wednesday, November 5."
LAST MINUTE CHANGE OF PLANSWilkerson made the announcement at a news conference at the Charles St. AME Church in Roxbury with leaders from the anti-crime Boston TenPoint Coalition and the Black Ministerial Alliance.
Watch Wilkerson's AnnouncementThe leaders planned to hold a news conference to urge Wilkerson to resign, but she spoke with them at the last minute and the 10 a.m. event was delayed two hours to make arrangements for Wilkerson to speak.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Wikerson did not take any questions from reporters. She said she will have another statement on her future next Wednesday, the day after Election Day.
"On Wednesday morning, the 5th of November there will be a further announcement about the continuancy of my term as the State senator moving towards the 4th of January," she said.
She was waging a write-in campaign for her seat, after losing a very close Democratic primary to Sonia Chang-Diaz in September.
Wilkerson was
arrested by the FBI Tuesday and charged with accepting $23,500 from undercover agents she thought were businessmen in exchange for political favors.
Senators unanimously passed a resolution Thursday
urging her to resign.
The non-binding resolution also cites Wilkerson's past legal problems, which include a term of house arrest for failure to pay her income taxes. She also was stripped Thursday of her committee posts, including as chair of the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
Senate President Therese Murray said members are upset about the "shadow of doubt" Wilkerson placed on them.
On Thursday night, Wilkerson said in a statement that it was unreasonable to ask her to step down immediately. "A decision to leave this district without representation, even for 60 days, is one that cannot and should not be made in a matter of hours," she said.
The Senate has also referred Wilkerson's case to its Ethics Committee, which will investigate and report back to the Senate if Wilkerson refuses to step down.
Wilkerson is free on $50,000 unsecured bond.
"This has been an extraordinary week," she told reporters.
"It may sound strange to hear me say this, but I feel like I'm a blessed person."
PATRICK ANNOUNCES ETHICS REFORMS
Gov. Deval Patrick held a news conference later Friday at the State House to unveil a broad package of proposed ethics reforms in the aftermath of Wilkerson' arrest. The ethics and lobbying reform panel will be headed by his chief legal counsel, Ben Clements.
"In a successful democracy, the currency of government is not money," Patrick said. "It's integrity."
He called on members of the public to take on incumbents and volunteer for public service.
But he said he was justified in supporting Wilkerson for re-election -- despite her prior federal tax evasion conviction and a $10,000 state campaign finance fine in August -- because she was the first public official "who stepped out for my improbable campaign" for governor.
"If you're asking me if I would have endorsed the senator based on what I know now, the answer is, `Of course not.' Of course I'm embarrassed by it," Patrick said.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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