Sen. Wilkerson Announces Her Resignation

BOSTON, Mass., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 -- State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, who was arrested last Tuesday on federal corruption charges, has announced she will resign. 

However, she did not specify a resignation date, citing the need to transition various constituent matters first, according to WBUR 90.9 FM.

Wilkerson, the state's only African American senator, has represented communities of color in the Second Suffolk District since 1993.  The district includes parts of Boston's Roxbury, Dorchester and Jamaica Plain areas.

Two days after Wilkerson's arrest, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously called on her to resign.  On Friday, Oct. 31, she announced she would terminate her campaign to run for re-election -- but that she would not make a decision about resigning until Nov. 5.

“I am committed to resigning my office as soon as I can do so consistent with my need to effectuate an orderly transition,” Wilkerson wrote in a statement released late this afternoon, which BostonHerald.com  reported.  “At this moment, it is not possible to set the date on which this process will be complete, other than to say it will be as soon as humanly and responsibly possible.”

SEE ALSO:
African American and Latino Leaders Speak Out on Sen. Dianne Wilkerson's Arrest

End of An Era for Sen. Dianne Wilkerson

Governor Creates Taskforce on Ethics and Lobbying Reform

Arrested Senator Won't Run for Re-election

source:  EthnicNEWz.org

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