http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081031/ap_on_re_us/state_senator_arrest_4
Mass. senator charged with bribery ends campaign
Fri Oct 31, 7:22 pm ET
BOSTON – The Massachusetts state senator who was photographed by the FBI allegedly stuffing bribe money under her sweater ended her write-in campaign for re-election on Friday.
Hours later, Gov. Deval Patrick announced a series of ethics and lobbying reforms in state government.
Dianne Wilkerson announced her decision three days after she was arrested by FBI agents — and two days after she vowed to continue campaigning against Sonia Chang-Diaz, who beat her in the Democratic primary.
"I am withdrawing from the race. We will not be doing any work or effort on the write-in," Wilkerson said during a news conference at a Boston church, where she met with members of the Black Ministerial Alliance and the Boston Ten-Point Coalition who had urged her to resign.
The senator would not say if she would resign but said she would make another announcement Wednesday, the day after the election. On Thursday, the Senate voted to seek her resignation, and Patrick, who had endorsed her in the primary, said he agreed with the action.
"I'm making no decision and no discussion about that today," Wilkerson said of possibly stepping down.
Patrick also announced Friday the creation of an ethics and lobbying reform panel headed by his chief legal counsel, Ben Clements.
"In a successful democracy, the currency of government is not money, it's integrity," Patrick said.
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.
Wilkerson is charged with attempted extortion as a public official and theft of honest services as a state senator. She is accused of accepting $23,500 in bribes from undercover agents she believed were businessmen.
In one case, she allegedly took the money in return for helping a businessman, working as an FBI informant, seek a liquor license. In another case, she was accused of taking bribes in exchange for helping two undercover agents get legislation allowing them to develop a property in her district.
Earlier this month, Wilkerson allegedly accepted $10,000 to aid in her write-in campaign.
An FBI affidavit included a series of still photographs from video recordings allegedly showing Wilkerson accepting the money, in one case stuffing cash inside her bra.
Chang-Diaz, a former teacher, defeated Wilkerson in the September primary. The other candidate on the ballot is William Leonard, who is running under the banner of the Socialist Workers Party.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-11/01/content_10290328.htm
美国女议员将受贿款塞进内衣被特工拍下[组图]
2008年11月01日 10:20:25 来源：扬子晚报
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黛安在一家饭店的餐桌上，收受了一名FBI卧底特工的贿赂。
黛安撩开自己的上衣，将10张100美元的贿金全都塞进了自己的胸罩里。
现年53岁的黛安·威克森是美国马萨诸塞州议会的一名民主党参议员，由于接到黛安利用职权收受贿赂的举报，美国联邦调查局对她展开了长达一年多的秘密调查。几名FBI卧底特工冒充酒吧老板或房地产商代理人等“行贿分子”，分别和黛安进行了联系。他们有的请黛安利用职权帮助获取一份卖酒执照，有的恳请她帮助推动一项有利于某个房地产开发商的立法提案。
FBI卧底特工不断约请黛安在波士顿市的高级饭店中见面，为了请黛安帮忙，几名卧底特工在8个不同场合中总共塞给了黛安23500美元的贿赂，而黛安收受贿赂的场面，全被卧底特工用微型摄像机秘密拍摄了下来。录像画面显示，黛安今年 6月18日在波士顿一家饭店的餐桌上收受了一名FBI卧底特工的贿赂后，竟然撩开自己的上衣，将10张100美元的贿金全都塞进了自己的胸罩里！此外，这家饭店距马萨诸塞州议会大厦仅有数步之遥。
今年10月28日，美国联邦调查局掌握到足够的证据后，终于突袭了黛安位于波士顿市的家，将她一举逮捕归案，黛安被控收受了23500美元的贿赂金，她在交付了5万美元的保释金后获得了释放。黛安被捕后，波士顿市议会的3名成员、马萨诸塞州参议院议长和马萨诸塞州酒精管理委员会的几名官员也都受到了调查。
据悉，黛安好几次都是在饭店餐桌上堂而皇之地收受贿赂的。马萨诸塞州议会官员纷纷呼吁黛安引咎辞职，免得给所有州议员的形象抹黑，但黛安却辩称她是无辜的，她只是受到了政敌的“陷害”。 杨宗
