Chuck Turner is threatening to bring a federal lawsuit against Boston City Council if it moves forward with the Feb. 15 primary and March 15 final election to fill his District 7 seat.
Two weeks ago, Turner was voted off the council for being convicted of taking a $1,000 bribe. In a letter sent to Council President Mike Ross yesterday, Turner’s lawyer, Chester Darling, said the vote was unlawful.
“The rule they enacted on, it was invalid, they should’ve done a home rule petition in order to get something like that to reverse the votes of the people of District 7,” Darling said. “You don’t cancel citizens’ votes that casually. That’s what they did.”
Darling said the council cited a 100-year-old precedent from when councilors elected themselves.
“That’s changed over the years,” Darling said. “The only qualification evaluated now is by the voters, and they voted this man in and he should remain in.”
The vote marked the first time the council voted off one of its own members.
Turner — who won re-election by 20 percent in 2009 despite his indictment — will be sentenced on Jan. 25.
“I would expect all back wages be paid to him and that this matter would be put to rest,” Darling wrote.
