Posted on 12/19/2008 12:25:19 AM PST by hoosiermama
Edited on 02/09/2012 7:04:21 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Crime in Chicago has been in the news lately, but it is nothing new. Historically it dates back over a hundred years. From the tale of the Gray Wolves
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/540.html
The 1890s Chicago City Council was notorious for corrupt political practices orchestrated by a faction of its aldermen known as the Gray Wolves. So named because they were viewed as preying upon the defenseless public, the Gray Wolves were led by First Ward aldermen “Bathhouse” John Coughlin and “Hinky Dink” Mike Kenna, and Johnny Powers of the Nineteenth Ward. These elected officials were not only skilled at trading votes for favors, but once in office they excelled in making municipal decisions to profit themselves financially.
TO the present, it is a compelling historical subject.
“Please post links and information, or connections of dots to this thread. Keep chit chat to the minimum or in Freemail. THANKS!”
Actually the courts are much better than they have been after another series of wiretaps and other electronic surveilance sent scores of judges, cops, sheriff deputies, court personnel and lawyers to jail. Operation Greylord put a big crimp in the buying and selling of justice. Operation Gambit involved bugging the table that Pat Marcy and John D’Arco, the powers in the First Ward (the Outfit’s guys) sat at to plan the corruption necessary for the Outfit to continue to loot the Region. This destroyed the power of the First Ward from which the city had been ruled since the days of Hinky Dink, Bathhouse John and the Grey Wolves. 76 posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 9:49:46 PM by arrogantsob (Hero vs Zero)
From:
http://nalert.blogspot.com/2008/03/chicago-democrats-and-chicago-mob.html
Most of America thinks Mayor Daley runs Chicago.Those on the inside know that’s not the case.The man who runs Chicago from behind the scenes,since the early 1990’s, is Alderman Ed Burke,Chairman of Chicago’s Finance Committee.Burke went from being an errand boy for Alderman Roti to the most powerful elected figure in the state of Illinois.In a corrupt state like Illinois,the guy with the most money in his campaign fund is the man at the top.In Illinois,it’s not Chicago’s Mayor Daley or Governor Blagojevich but Alderman Burke.
From:
http://nalert.blogspot.com/2008/10/is-rezko-talking-about-obamaalderman.html
Monday, October 06, 2008
Is Rezko Talking About Obama,Alderman Burke,and Congressman Gutierrez? Prosecutors talking to Rezko, seek to delay sentencing
The Chicago Sun-Times reports:
...
.But, one has to wonder what Rezko is talking about because Rod Blagojevich(Public Official ‘A’ Rezko Trial) and his wife were on the Feds radar? Is Rezko talking to the Feds about Obama,Cook County Board President Todd Stroger,or how Alderman Burke did “legal” work.Or Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez’s excellent real estate deal:
Rep. Luis Gutierrez got a deal on a riverfront town house built by Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a developer and prominent political fund-raiser now under indictment for an alleged kickback scheme involving state pension funds.
From:
Giannoulias is so tainted by reputed mob links that several top Illinois Dems, including the state’s speaker of the House and party chairman, refused to endorse him even after he won the Democratic nomination with Obama’s help.”
Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times
The Citizen Wells blog began researching Obama’s ties to Alexi Giannoulias and other Chicago and Illinois corruption figures months ago. This blog posted an article about Alexi Giannoulias, Dan Shomon and corruption on May 14, 2008. Here is an exerpt from the article:
“Like the ill-advised connection to Obama in Aurora, thanks to Dan Shomon, Obama is mentioned in the same discusion with all these problems with Giannoulias.”
“Shomon’s main activities are political campaigns and helping Obama and his friends like Alexi Giannoulias who is now the Treasurer for the State of Illinois.”
FROM:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09052007/news/nationalnews/obamas_mob_tie_idekick.htm
NY Post article:
“By CHARLES HURT Bureau Chief
September 5, 2007
WASHINGTON - A man who has long been dogged by charges that the bank his family owns helped finance a Chicago crime figure will host a Windy City fund-raiser tonight for Sen. Barack Obama.
Alexi Giannoulias, who became Illinois state treasurer last year after Obama vouched for him, has pledged to raise $100,000 for the senator’s Oval Office bid.
Before he promised to raise funds for Obama, Giannoulias bankrolled Michael “Jaws” Giorango, a Chicagoan twice convicted of bookmaking and promoting prostitution. “
Read more here:
Consider the following:
“Much in the same way that Obama was groomed for his elections by people in power in Chicago, and much in the same way that Obama supported the corrupt Stroger family even when he could have supported a reform-minded (liberal Democrat) opponent to the Strogers, the Obama-Giannoulias relationship seems one of political payback.”
“The close association of Obama with a man who seems clearly to be involved in some shady deals with convicted criminals is yet another example of questionable judgment at best and typical dirty Chicago politics at worst. I wonder if Giannoulias will turn out to be the next in Obama’s never-ending series of “He’s not the man I knew”.”
Read more here:
http://www.rossputin.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/will-alexi-giannoulias-be-obama-s-next-n
from:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121918996082755013.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The most dramatic examples of Mr. Obama’s commitment to old-style politics are his repeated endorsements of Chicago’s machine politicians, which came in opposition to what people of all ideological stripes viewed as the common good.
In the 2006 election, reformers from both parties attempted to end the corruption in Chicago’s Cook County government. They probably would have succeeded, too, had Mr. Obama taken their side. Liberals and conservatives came together and nearly ousted Cook County Board President John Stroger, the machine boss whom court papers credibly accuse of illegally using the county payroll to maintain his own standing army of political cronies, contributors and campaigners.
The since-deceased Stroger’s self-serving mismanagement of county government is still the subject of federal investigations and arbitration claims. Stroger was known for trying repeatedly to raise taxes to fund his political machine, even as basic government services were neglected in favor of high-paying county jobs for his political soldiers.
From:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/588442,watchdog04.stnghttp:/
...The much-conflicted alderman says he meant to sit out the vote. He’d even sent a letter to the Chicago Board of Ethics in August 2003 saying he would abstain from any Council votes on Rezko’s plan to put as many as 5,000 homes and stores on a 62-acre site along the Chicago River at Roosevelt Road.
But then Rezko’s project came before the City Council on March 31, 2004, and Burke cast his vote — in favor.
“An error occurred,” the alderman said in a written response to questions, “and Rule 14 was not invoked.”
That would be the Council rule under which aldermen are supposed to abstain from a vote when they have a conflict of interest.
Of course, it’s up to the alderman who has a conflict to invoke the rule.
Burke’s legal work for Rezko’s Rezmar Corp. is referenced in records on the 62-acre site Rezko wanted to develop with $140 million in city subsidies. The project fizzled, and Rezmar sold the land...
Illinois Corruption:
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/speculation-whos-who-in-the-blago-complaint/
Speculation: Who’s Who in the Blago Complaint BlagoGate?
Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Sen. Barack Obama, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley
A RBO regular is combing through the 70-plus page federal criminal corruption complaint against Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, that was revealed today by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s office.
...
* Senate Candidate 1, whom Obama’s team wanted appointed and whom Blagojevich was disinclined to appoint without a gift, is Obama confidante and advisor Valerie Jarrett. Jarret withdrew from considering for the seat, maybe partly because she didn’t want to be involved in the coming Blagojevich indictment and scandal (if Rod had appointed her before this all broke, lord knows how bad that’d look for Barry and company).
* Senate Candidate 2, the one whom Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed shilled for on Blago’s behalf (in order to piss off Obama), is Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Hey, her dad is the Speaker of the Illinois House. The Illinois House would be the ones who would have to impeach Blago or pass legislation necessitating a special election if they don’t want Rod to still appoint his own candidate.
* Senate Candidate 5, rumored to be Jesse Jackson, Jr., is actually probably Illinois state legislator Emil Jones. This is the one Obama didn’t want appointed, and Blago repeatedly threatened to pick him instead of Jarrett.
* Senate Candidate 6, a rich person Blago wanted to appoint to the Senate in exchange for millions of dollars in donations, is probably J.B. Pritzker. Pritzker is a Hillary donor, a wealthy Chicago businessman, and the brother of Obama finance advisor Penny Pritzker.
Update 1: Ben Smith at The Politico reports that a “Democratic source confirms that SEIU President Andy Stern is the ‘SEIU official’ referred to in the federal complaint against Rod Blagojevich. …
Another Democratic source tells me that Stern was been in Chicago November 3 meeting with Blagojevich, a discussion thought to have included talk about the Senate seat — though that meeting isn’t mentioned in the complaint
Chicago Public Radio interview about Todd Stroger, and
comparisons to his father’s rule (John Stroger) in Corruption Centra, Chicago.
Click on the speaker
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=22757
Burke: We’re doing best we can
Fires back at Daley administration about workers comp claims
###
October 21, 2006
BY TIM NOVAK Staff Reporter
With the Daley administration pointing the finger at Ald. Edward M. Burke for the extraordinary rate of injury claims filed by patronage workers, Burke fired back Friday, saying his staff has “done the best that it can” to prevent abuse and fraud.
“There is no excuse for anyone who is trying to abuse the system,” said Burke, chairman of the City Council Finance Committee, which processes and pays all workers compensation claims filed by city employees.
“I have confidence that the staff of the Committee on Finance has done the best that it can in an admittedly very difficult system,” he said. “If somebody has a better way to do this, then I welcome that information.”
Burke’s comments came amid a Chicago Sun-Times investigation that has found:
• • One in five patronage workers named on a secret clout list kept by Mayor Daley’s then-patronage director filed workers compensation claims, an injury rate far greater than any occupation tracked by the federal Labor Department. Those claims have cost taxpayers more than $38 million.
• • Half of those patronage workers filed at least two injury claims, with a few filing a dozen or more.
• • An estimated 91 workers have been cleared to return to work but are sitting at home, collecting disability checks — sometimes more than $40,000 a year — waiting for the city to find them a less physically demanding job. Many have political connections.
Unanswered questions
This was Burke’s first comment on the Sun-Times investigation. He was interviewed at an unrelated public event.
Rather than meet with reporters in recent weeks, Burke’s staff asked for a list of written questions, which the Sun-Times submitted Sept. 18. Burke’s staff haset to respond.
As part of those written questions, the Sun-Times asked Burke’s staff to discuss any investigations they conducted to determine if the employees were really hurt, why employees remain on paid disability leave for years while their cases languish, and to identify the law firms Burke has hired to defend the city.
Burke’s committee settles most workers compensation cases with the employees and their attorneys, presenting the settlements to the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission for approval. The Finance Committee has overseen workers compensation claims since 1913.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/105538,CST-NWS-disabled21.article
THanks for the inspiration to Phoenix11
Merry Fitzmas
The 12 ways to a Merry Fitzmas
Posted on Saturday, December 13, 2008 3:08:27 PM by Phoenix11
Let’s run down the list, shall we...
1. Allison Davis, Obama’s boss at his law firm, was a player in the extortion attempt in the Board Games case. Davis also partnered with Rezko and received taxpayer subsidies to
rehab apartments and homes, getting deal after deal from Mayor Daley. Daley, Davis, Rezko, Blago, and Obama have all worked together to obtain government funding for said “housing development”. In exchange, the slumlords have financed Blago and Obama’s political careers.
2. Two politicians specifically received donations from the kickback schemes. You guessed it. Blago and Obama. From the first pay-off, 20K was funneled through the pizza businesses to Obama.
3. Rezko was a major player in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars by shaking down firms doing business before two boards that Stuart Levine served on, the Teachers Retirement System and the Hospital Facilities Planning Board. Blago, his campaign manager, Obama, along with others, got Levine re-appointed to the Hospital Facilities Planning Board.
4. John Rogers, the head of an investment firm that ended up with major money from the pension funds, was a member of Obama’s finance committee for his Senate and Presidential run. Others on the finance committee for the Senate run: Tony and Rita Rezko, Allison Davis, and Mike Cherry.
5. After Rezko’s indictment, Obama donated all of the $11.5K that Rezko gave in campaign contributions. Ha, funny thing is, it turned out to be close to 250K.
6. Massuda was one of several members of the Health Facilities Planning Board appointed by Blago to serve after he won legislative approval to overhaul its membership. Who signed off on the legislative approval? You guessed it, Obama.
7. Mayor Daley, endorsed Obama for President. So, “in the spirit of reciprocation”, Obama endorsed Daley and his running mates despite various City Hall corruption scandals. Oh yeah, Daley’s brother also got a job as an Obama advisor.
8. Alexi Giannoulias became state treasurer after Obama vouched for him. In return, Giannoulias agreed to raise money for Obama’s Presidential run. While Alexi was overseeing Broadway Bank’s loans, the bank made more than $12 million in loans to Michael Giorango, now convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter. Alexi held a fundraiser for Obama in Sept. 2007, a fact that Obama tried to keep hidden. Alexi also served on Obama’s finance committee (Presidential).
9. Valerie Jarrett, met Michelle Obama while Michelle worked for Mayor Daley. In 2006, Jarrett was given a high-ranking job by the University of Chicago, Michelle’s employer, to be chair of the Medical Center Board and the newly created Executive Committee of that board.
10. Robert Blackwell Jr. paid Obama an $8,000-a-month retainer for “legal advice” for a technology firm he owned. As a “thank you”, Obama wrote a letter so that another company Blackwell owned could receive a state grant.
11. After Blago was elected governor, the TPS board was stacked so that favored investment firms were able to invest parts of the retirement fund’s $30 billion in assets. The “Co-Schemers”, including William Cellini, then demanded kickbacks and worked to funnel money to Blago and Obama’s political careers.
12. The “Co-Schemers” then reduced the size of the HFP board from 15 to 9 members, stacking it with 5 so that they had the majority. In 2004, the HFP board approved the building of a new hospital, though state analysts said it was not needed. Barack Obama was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and was in on the correspondence for the TPS and HFP boards. The reason the hospital was not built? Fitzgerald. The builder of the hospital paid bribes to those who made the construction of the hospital possible. Kiferbaum pleaded guilty and is now singing like Rezko.
Operation Greylord
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Operation Greylord was an investigation conducted jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division into corruption in the judiciary of Cook County, Illinois (the Chicago region).
The operation took place in the 1980s. Ninety-two people were indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, ten deputy sheriffs, eight policemen, eight court officials, and a member of the Illinois Legislature
From:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/588442,watchdog04.stng
Ald. Edward M. Burke is chairman of the Chicago City Council’s powerful Finance Committee. He also runs a small law firm, Klafter & Burke, that specializes in appeals of property assessments. Burke gets a cut of what clients save in lowered property taxes. Burke reported having 37 law clients that did business with the city last year. Each paid him at least $5,000.
1. ABN Services Co./LaSalle Bank
2. Admiral Heating & Ventilating
3. American Airlines
4. American Trans Air Inc.
5. Ameritech
6. AT&T Communications
7. Blue Cross Blue Shield
8. CenterPoint Properties
9. Centrum Properties
10. Chicago Community Development
11. Cole Taylor Bank
12. Commonwealth Edison
13. Davis Group, LLC
14. Dominick’s
15. Fifth Third Bank
16. Fitzsimmons Surgical
17. Friedman Properties Ltd.
18. Greater Southwest Development Corp.
19. The Habitat Company
20. Harris Bank
21. Holsten Development
22. K-Five Construction Corp.
23. MB Real Estate
24. Northern Trust Company
25. Northwestern Memorial Hospital
26. Palumbo Bros. Inc.
27. Pittsfield Building
28. Prairie Material Sales
29. Senior Lifestyle Corp.
30. Southwest Airlines
31. Teng & Associates Inc.
32. The Standard Companies
33. TMobile
34. U.S. Equities Realty Inc.
35. Union League Club of Chicago
36. WBEZ Alliance
37. Wicklander Printing Corp.
Source: Burke’s “statement of financial interests,” filed with the city clerk
Cook County Government
###
County Board President
* Todd H. Stroger, President
County Commissioners
* Earlean Collins, 1st District
* Robert Steele, 2nd District
* Jerry “Iceman” Butler, 3rd District
* William M. Beavers, 4th District
* Deborah Sims, 5th District
* Joan Patricia Murphy, 6th District
* Joseph Mario Moreno, 7th District
* Roberto Maldonado, 8th District
* Peter N. Silvestri, 9th District
* Mike Quigley, 10th District
* John P. Daley, 11th District
* Forrest Claypool, 12th District
* Larry Suffredin, 13th District
* Gregg Goslin, 14th District
* Timothy O. Schneider, 15th District
* Anthony J. Peraica, 16th District
* Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman, 17th District
County Elected Officials
* James M. Houlihan, Assessor
* Joseph Berrios, Commissioner Board of Review
* Brendan F. Houlihan, Commissioner Board of Review
* Larry R. Rogers, Jr., Commissioner Board of Review
* David Orr, County Clerk
* Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court
* Eugene Moore, Recorder of Deeds
* Thomas Dart, Sheriff
* Anita Alvarez, State’s Attorney
* Maria Pappas, Treasurer
~~~
Cook County Commissioners are paid $85,000 per year in taxpayer-funded salary. But they also receive more than $1,200 a month in no-strings-attached “contingency checks,” Fox Chicago’s Dane Placko reports.
The money from these checks, intended for auxiliary expenses like office supplies, does not have to be itemized in the lean, single-page expense reports Commissioners file with the County. Commissioner William Beavers admits taking the entire contingency fund as personal income, a practice fellow Commissioner Larry Suffredin says could be a violation of state law.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/11/cook-county-commissioners_n_143108.html
~~~
**Chicago Ward & Aldermen = 50
Aldermen must disclose any source of employment income that paid them more than $2,500
besides their $104,101-a-year city salaries.
###
The Chicago City Council spends more on its own salaries than most other cities, according to an analysis of salary figures.
This year Chicago will spend nearly $5 million of taxpayers? money paying 48 of its 50 aldermen $98,125 a year (two others receive $85,000), according to the 2006 city budget. Aldermen’s jobs include everything from arranging for garbage pickup to voting on citywide legislation.
Chicago’s 50 aldermanic wards rank second only to New York?s 51, even though New York has slightly more than 5 million more people.
The expensive salaries have caused some in Chicago think condensing the number of wards would combat government overspending.
Los Angeles gets by fine with 15 council members, Stewart said. Granted, they pay them more, but their overall council budget is still less than Chicago’s.
With nearly 800,000 more citizens than Chicago, Los Angles spends slightly more than $2 million on its council members salaries, and in Houston, a city with 1 million fewer people than Chicago, the city spends $739,970 on its 14-person council.
Alderman Burton Natarus of the 42nd Ward in the central loop said if Chicago reduced the number of wards the city would not be able to work as effectively as it currently does.
http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/citybeat.php?id=2124
&&&
Council members list their side jobs
Many aldermen worked as consultants, lawyers
By Dan Mihalopoulos and Hal Dardick
May 03, 2008
Chicago aldermen made extra money last year through lawyering, politicalconsulting and public relations work, among other side jobs listed in economicdisclosure statements released Friday.
Ald. Edward Burke (14th), an attorney and City Council veteran of almostfour decades, earned more than $5,000 from each of 38 legal clients that do business with the city or other local government agencies, including American Airlines, Walgreens, Walsh Construction Co., Palumbo Bros. and the now-defunctAmerican Trans Air Inc., which once dominated Midway Airport.
Burke, whose wife is state Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, also listedcapital gains of more than $5,000 from each of 34 companies, including Starbucks Corp.
Ald. William J.P. Banks (36th), chairman of the Zoning Committee, earnedat least $2,500 from working for the law firm of his brother, Samuel V.P.Banks, according to the disclosure.
The firm represents developers seeking zoning changes before the CityCouncil. Ald. Banks habitually abstains from voting on zoning changesaffecting his brother’s clients.
Aldermen must disclose any source of employment income that paid them morethan $2,500 besides their $104,101-a-year city salaries.
They also must reveal profits topping $5,000 from investments. And if theyor their spouses earn $5,000 or more from any company doing business withlocal government – including the city, CTA, Chicago Public Schools, ChicagoPark District and other agencies – that, too, must be disclosed.
Long before Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th) was elected last year, her solely owned consulting firm J. Donatella & Associates ran several Democratic campaigns, including that of her husband, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.(D-Ill.). She’s still active in that arena, the congressman said Friday.
Another freshman alderman, Brendan Reilly (42nd), disclosed he works part-time for the Dewey Square Group, a Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm.
“My contract specifically excludes work in Illinois,” Reilly said. “I did that so there wouldn’t even be the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd), a seasoned civil litigator in his first council term, disclosed that he has earned money working under appointment to the Cook and Will County state’s attorney’s offices. It’s work he said he haslittle time to do today.
The accounting firm that employs Rose Doherty, the wife of Ald. Brian Doherty (41st), has done work for the Fireman’s Annuity and Benefit Fund and the city’s Public Employee Deferred Compensation Plan.
The alderman said his wife now focuses mostly on work for non-profitcompanies, and he’s not sure whether she’s involved with work for the entities he listed.
Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. (21st), said he didn’t think he was required to disclose that his wife, Ebonie, sells real estate for MGM Terrell Group, a developer in a tax increment finance district enacted by the city in his ward.
But after the issue was raised in his unsuccessful campaign for state’s attorney, he said he decided to report it in the interest of full transparency.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/may/03/news/chi-city-aldermen-ethics-03may03
###
**New York City:
# of City Councilmen = 51
# of Burough Presidents = 5
***New York City Population = 8+ million
_______________
**Chicago
# of Chicago Alderman + Cook County Commissioners = 74
**Chicago Population = nearly 3 milliion
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