Dianne Wilkerson asked me to do it
Frank Quaratiello
The Boston Herald
8/3/2010
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said yesterday he has “no regrets” about his role in helping a troubled Boston bank qualify for a $12 million federal bailout now at the center of ethics charges against California Rep. Maxine Waters.
In fact, Frank – chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee – says he never helped OneUnited at the behest of Waters, whose husband had served on the bank’s board.
Instead, the Bay State congressman said he worked to promote the bailout at the request of scandal-plagued then-state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson.
“I was already working on behalf of OneUnited, I was called by Senator Wilkerson and others, I don’t remember who. I was out in California doing a hearing and got a call from Wilkerson,” he told the Herald yesterday.
At the time Frank said he acted on Wilkerson’s behalf, the senator was one month away from federal bribery charges to which she recently pleaded guilty. She had previously pleaded guilty to failure to pay federal income taxes and been cited for unreported campaign donations and expenditures.
The article, with video, continues at The Boston Herald.
