Dianne Wilkerson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wilkerson in 2008 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the 2nd Suffolk district | |
| In office 1993–2008 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Owens |
| Succeeded by | Sonia Chang-Díaz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 2, 1955 Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | American International College, Boston College |
| Occupation | attorney |
Dianne Wilkerson (born May 2, 1955) is a former Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate, representing the 2nd Suffolk District from 1993 to 2008 as the first African American female to serve in the chamber.
On October 28, 2008, she was arrested on public corruption charges by the FBI for accepting bribes totaling $23,500. She formally resigned on November 19, 2008. On June 3, 2010, she pleaded guilty to eight felony counts of attempted extortion. She was disbarred from the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on November 24, 2010, and served a federal prison sentence from 2011 to 2013.