The Wilkerson fall out... think money in bra, the sag in confidence continues

For our usual readers of this post, in 2008 when Senator Wilkerson was filmed stuffing a wad of green backs in her shirt, I wrote than that when the trial begins, more revelations will come out on a host of usual suspects.

From the Globe: A top executive of the developer behind the failed $800 million Columbus Center project in Boston was charged yesterday in federal court with illegally funneling $12,000 in campaign contributions to four Massachusetts congressmen.

Federal prosecutors said that Martin Raffol, 54, executive vice president of the residential arm of WinnCompanies, engaged in a scheme to conceal money the company donated in an attempt to win support from congressmen in a position to help its projects.

Raffol is accused of persuading WinnCompanies contractors to give donations to the congressmen and then secretly reimbursing those firms, which hid the true source of the money. Federal law prohibits companies from directly donating to political candidates. Raffol was also charged with witness tampering in allegedly telling one WinnCompanies vendor to lie to authorities if questioned.

Prosecutors did not charge WinnCompanies or any of its other executives. Prosecutors also said there was no evidence the congressmen knew of Raffol’s reimbursement scheme.

In addition to the $12,000 to the four congressman — Representatives Barney Frank of Newton, Stephen F. Lynch of South Boston, Michael E. Capuano of Somerville, and William D. Delahunt of Quincy — prosecutors said Raffol illegally directed more than $30,000 in contributions to candidates running for state and local offices in Massachusetts.

The charges against Raffol are related only to the contributions to federal officeholders.

The kicker in all this is.. .who are the Massachusetts elected officails who took the illegal money and why aren't we hearing about them?

Federal officials declined to identify the state and local politicians who received $30,000 in illegal contributions, but said it included candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, the Legislature, district attorney, mayor of Boston, and Boston City Council.