Possible witness lists for Turner trial a who’s who of City Hall, Beacon Hill

By Gintautas Dumcius

Top officials on Beacon Hill and in City Hall head a list of witnesses who could be asked to testify in City Councillor Chuck Turner’s trial, which started this week.

In court documents filed Friday, prosecutors outlined the list of potential witnesses they may call, including City Councillors Maureen Feeney of Dorchester and Bill Linehan of South Boston. Feeney was the City Council’s president when Turner was arrested in Nov. 2008 on corruption charges.

Former City Councillor At-Large Sam Yoon, who moved to D.C. earlier this year after an unsuccessful mayoral bid in 2009, is also on the prosecutors’ list.

Prosecutors also may call Ronald Wilburn, who worked as a cooperating witness with the FBI on the cases of Turner and former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson (D-Roxbury). Wilburn has told The Boston Globe he will refuse to testify, citing a disagreement with how the FBI handled the investigation.

For his part, Turner may call state Sen. Michael Morrissey, a Quincy Democrat who is running for Norfolk County District Attorney; Daniel Pokaski, who retired from the Boston Licensing Board in June; Jerome Smith, a top aide to Senate President Therese Murray and former aide to current City Council President Michael Ross; Michael Kineavy, a top aide to Mayor Thomas Menino; former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan; Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein; Turner chief of staff Lorraine Fowlkes; state Rep. Gloria Fox (D-Roxbury); and local political consultant Joyce Ferriabough among others.

On their list, prosecutors also included over a dozen FBI agents; former Feeney chief of staff Justin Holmes; a deputy city clerk for Boston; and an executive with Martignetti Companies, a Norwood-based wine and liquor distributor.

Turner, a Green-Rainbow Party member who represents Dorchester and Roxbury, is also expected to testify. Accused of taking a $1,000 bribe and lying to FBI agents about it, he has maintained he is innocent and frequently launched sharp jabs at federal prosecutors, accusing them of corruption.
Turner’s trial was scheduled to start on Oct. 13 at the Moakley Courthouse, as the Reporter went to press. It is expected to last three weeks.