Turner uses allegations to draw attention to Roxbury

By Megan Donovan
Image by AP Photo/Angela Rowlings

ROXBURY-- City Councilor Chuck Turner awaits trial which is set for June 21st. Tuner was re-elected to a sixth term last November by a 20-point margin amid federal corruption charges.


Despite preparing for court, Turner says his focus is still on the neighborhoods he represents, including Roxbury, Lower Roxbury, and parts of the Fenway, South End and Dorchester.


Turner says, though, the allegations have affected his family and what he can do in office. “The president [of the education committee] won’t let me sit as chair, but you don’t have to be chair of a committee to be involved,” Turner said.



His projects include prodding the State Department of Conservation and Recreation to repair an old ice rink in the North End and make it available to youth programs. He is also spurring his community to participate in the census.


Harold Raymond, 54, a former Roxbury resident, started a 41 unit housing project on Rockland Avenue with Turner in 1995. He called the allegations against Turner a political stunt and said the attention would work in his favor.


“It fits into the scope of his community activism by drawing attention,” Raymond said.


Turner accuses former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan of filing the charges to remove him from office. Turner argues the charges are retaliation for the pressure he put on Sullivan from 2000 and 2004 after a series of police brutality cases. Tuner also said that Sullivan may want to run for office.


“[Sullivan’s] saying to himself, ‘If I can take out Diane [Wilkerson] and Chuck it will help gain favor with white politicians,’” Turner said.
He also links Sullivan to former US Attorney General John Ashcroft, who hired Sullivan to the Boston office of his consulting firm. He says that perhaps his plan is make opportunities to put his people in office.


“One of my concerns is activity that puts tax money down industry rat holes,” said Turner about the worries he has about Sullivan and Ashcroft seeking power.

Turner has turned the attention of his corruption charges to attention in his community, Councilor John Tobin of neighboring District 8 said.


“He has a full staff right in the middle of his community in Dudley Square and at city hall,” said Tobin. “He’s always been there for them.”


Turner’s challenger in the November election, thirty three year-old Carlos Henriques, said he saw inadequacies in the way the government was being run by, what he called, “gatekeepers.”


“Politics have gotten more attention in Roxbury since the elections of Deval Patrick and Barack Obama,” said Henriquez, who he cites as some of his own inspirations for running for office.


Though he had the support of The Globe and Herald, age, experience, and personal connections to Turner are reasons why Henriquez says he lost the election.


“Turner maintains his innocence and his community supports him until otherwise proven guilty,” said Henriquez.