"I'm shocked, just shocked there is corruption here."
Posted on 05/04/2005 3:00:51 PM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican
CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said Wednesday that new disclosures of corruption in city government, including allegations that payoff money found its way into his campaign fund, have left him "hurt, embarrassed, disappointed."
"Clearly, I'm not proud or pleased," Daley told a news conference, his first since a former city water official pleaded guilty to taking payoffs from trucking companies and said some of the money went to campaign funds, including Daley's.
It was the first time Daley's name surfaced in the yearlong investigation of the city's corruption-riddled, $38 million Hired Truck Program, which outsourced work to private trucking companies, some with mob ties.
Daley has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but said federal prosecutors had asked him not to go into detail about the ongoing investigation. In the past week, federal agents have carted off documents from several agencies in City Hall.
A number of city officials, including the former head of the Hired Truck Program, have already pleaded guilty to corruption charges. Others are awaiting trial.
Daley said it was important to "build on the reforms that were put into place after the first evidence of wrongdoing." Among other things, Daley has barred contractors who do business with the city from contributing to his campaign fund.
In his plea agreement Monday, former water official Gerald Wesolowski said "city officials" directed payoff money from the Hired Truck Program into various campaign funds. Daley said if any of that money reached his campaign, he is considering returning it.
When asked which city officials may have directed the money, however, Daley ended the news conference, saying: "Everybody supported my campaign. Everybody knows that. I won last time with 80 percent" of the vote.
And just to shine a little light on his last re-election -- he won with 80% of a turnout of 33%.
27% of the eligible voters returned this guy to office. A damned shame.
The headline imples a sense of shame. I'm not buying it.
Let me know when the headline says "Mayor jailed over corruption". Then I'll be interested.
His typical bull-oney.
If that day ever comes, I'm buying drinks for everyone.
Daley was reportedly shocked, shocked that gambling was going on in this establishment.
Chicago might be the top or second most corrupt city in the US. This kind of claptrap has been going on for years and it goes deep. Try remodeling your house and if you don't grease the palm of the inspector you'll never get it passed. Even true in some of the outlying suburbs.
And da Mare don't know a thing about it.
I am truly looking forward to his "perp" walk with the cuffs on.
In a related story, Hell froze over today ...
The explanantin is simple: Election year 'money migration trails' are so ingrained in the Chicago money DNA that even though Daley Jr. does everything he can to block the normal path of election year dollars, some still get through to the 'mating grounds' of the mayor's office.
See? Perfectly innocent...
"I'm shocked, just shocked there is corruption here."
Thanks for explanatin that!
Notta ting!
Can Chicago newscasters read this story without snickers or guffaws?
Probably plenty of them can. The softball treatment he gets from most of the press here is unbelievable.
Splainin' is my specieltee..
Unfortunately, the corruption has so thoroughly rusted out much of the government that in many ways the rust is the only thing holding the city together. Rather hard to clean it out under such circumstances.
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