Massachusetts state senator Dianne Wilkerson was arrested Tuesday after taking over $20,000 in cash from undercover cops.  She thought the cops were local businessmen.

Wilkerson, the lone black member of the state Senate, was charged with attempted extortion as a public official and theft of honest services as a state senator. She faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on each count.

“Public service is a privilege, and voters and taxpayers expect that elected officials will do what’s right for their constituents, not what is financially best for themselves, U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan said. “The citizens of the Commonwealth deserve honest and faithful services from elected officials, uncompromised by secret payments of cash.”

Wilkerson, 53, lost the Democratic primary in September to Sonia Chang-Diaz, but was running a sticker campaign against her in the Nov. 4 election. She has held her seat in the Senate since 1993, but has faced a number of legal and ethical charges.

Basically if you know an elected official they are corrupt and not worth any of your hard earned cash nor do they deserve our tax money to waste, blow, earmark and burn on themselves or something totally unnecessary.

Related: Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Convicted