Congresswoman's Husband Pleads Innocent (Spouse of Janice Schakowsky, D-IL)

CHICAGO (AP) A federal judge assigned to hear fraud charges against the husband of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky said Thursday he may have a potential conflict of interest and left open the possibility that had could turn the case over to another judge.

The judge's announcement came as Robert Creamer appeared for arraignment and pleaded innocent to charges alleging he operated check kiting schemes that led to bank fraud totaling at least $2.3 million.

Judge James B. Moran said he believes he may have met Creamer, a prominent Chicago political consultant, although he could not recall where or when. But he said he knows Schakowsky, who represents his district.

The judge also said that his son-in-law, political consultant Pete Giangreco, may have worked with Schakowsky in past campaigns.

Moran said he would decide later whether to preside over the case or recuse himself and have it assigned to another judge.

Creamer is one of Chicago's best known political consultants and has done consulting work for the campaigns of both Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

He is charged with 16 counts of bank fraud for allegedly swindling nine financial institutions while he ran an Illinois public interest group in the 1990s. He also is charged in the indictment returned March 11 with 18 counts of tax fraud.

The indictment alleges that he caused a series of insufficiently funded checks and wire transfers to be drawn on accounts he controlled as executive director of the Illinois Public Action Fund, a not-for-profit public interest organization.

According to the indictment, he used the inflated balances to pay the expenses of the organization as well as his own salary and discretionary expenses.

Schakowsky, who is running for re-election, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

According to the indictment, he used the inflated balances to pay the expenses of the organization as well as his own salary and discretionary expenses.

But he's a liberal do-gooder, so it's okay. sarcasm

1 posted on 04/08/2004 8:05:45 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John

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2 posted on 04/08/2004 8:07:46 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (If Woody had gone straight to the police, this would never have happened!)

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