Posted on 02/07/2006 9:00:44 AM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican
Accused of pocketing $50,000 in bribes and obstructing justice, Chicago City Clerk Jim Laski resigned Monday after changing lawyers to an attorney with a reputation for negotiating plea agreements.
After reviewing incriminating transcripts of secretly recorded government tapes, attorney Jeffrey Steinback said he advised Laski, 52, to give up his $135,545-a-year paycheck.
The resignation, hand-delivered to Mayor Daley's chief of staff Ron Huberman, comes less than two weeks after Laski promised to stay on the job and "keep fighting" the corruption charges against him.
"We discussed it, and he and I determined that it was in his best interest and in the best interest of the city that he resign -- and it was appropriate under all of the circumstances that he do so today," Steinback said Monday.
"The continued evaluation of the charges against him have prompted him to make this decision."
Mayor Daley will appoint a successor to serve out the remainder of Laski's term and is expected to choose a Hispanic after a parade of Hispanic departures from his scandal-overhauled Cabinet.
If the mayor chooses to stay within the City Council, the front-runner would be Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the mayor's handpicked president pro tem and one of Daley's most prominent Hispanic supporters. Budget Committee Chairman William Beavers (7th), who is African-American, has also made a play for the job.
Attorney says no deals reached
Solis said he has not discussed the appointment with Daley, even though other aldermen have recommended him for the job. Pressed on whether he was interested, Solis said, "It's an appointment for a year. I need to look at it, find out what the job entails and how that fits into my plans," said Solis, who is considering a race for Congress once Rep. Luis Gutierrez retires after serving one more term.
Although Steinback is well-known for negotiating plea agreements, he stressed that no deal has been reached in Laski's case.
"I just now got into the case -- literally. I'm a complete newcomer to it. I haven't had sufficient time to analyze what the best direction is. I'll do so as quickly as I can," Steinback said.
As for his reputation for negotiating guilty pleas, Steinback said, "That happens an awful lot. It doesn't happen exclusively. You just don't always hear about the other ones."
Political pal: 'A difficult day'
State Rep. Robert Molaro (D-Chicago), one of Laski's closest friends in politics, described the clerk as "sick and devastated" that his once-promising political career had come to an end.
"Two weeks ago, he thought he'd be able to do both. But he realizes now that you can't spend 30, 40 hours a week taking care of your family and your legal problems and 40 hours being city clerk. The math doesn't work," he said.
"Jim Laski has been in politics for 25 years. Even though he knows it's the right decision, it's still a difficult day when you have to resign from something you love doing. And he loved being city clerk."
On Jan. 13, Laski became the highest-ranking city employee -- and the first elected official -- to be caught up in the Hired Truck scandal.
Accused of taking bribes
Federal prosecutors accused the clerk of taking bribes and obstructing justice after allegedly catching him on tape encouraging Mick and Traci Jones to lie to a grand jury and deny that, for years, they had been giving Laski $500 to $1,000 a month in exchange for the clerk's help in securing Hired Truck business for their trucking company, Get Plowed. Jones and his wife work in the city clerk's office.
Two weeks later, Laski was formally indicted -- along with John Briatta, the brother-in-law of County Commissioner John Daley, the mayor's brother.
The veteran clerk was accused of accepting $50,000 in bribes in exchange for steering trucking business to lifelong friend Mick Jones, who was indicted along with the clerk.
On the day before his indictment, Laski made a surprise appearance at a City Council committee hearing and made a show of going around to shake hands with aldermen to let them -- and City Hall reporters -- know he was on the job.
May seek to keep city pension
He insisted that "somebody's lying -- and it's not me" about alleged extended absences from work that cost him his four police bodyguards.
Asked whether he planned to resign, Laski said, "Not right now. Why should I?"
Laski didn't miss a beat when asked about the allegedly incriminating statements he made on tapes secretly recorded by Mick and Traci Jones.
"Have you heard all of them? Listen to all of them. There's many more stories to be told," he said.
If Laski negotiates a guilty plea, sources said he may attempt to hold on to his city pension by arguing that the alleged wrongdoing did not occur during the course of his official duties as city clerk.
Pressed on whether that argument would fly, Steinback said, "One can always hope. I'm not prepared to make any arguments with respect to that issue until I know more about it and have more opportunity to evaluate it."
I bet he did.
If this is Chicago, then why did he resign?
Corruption in Chicago? The Hell you say.
Yeah, I know. But we finally have a U.S. Attorney's office that is doing its job.
Yep, it surprised me too. And this guy was so popular. Last election, he won with 100% of the vote.
Gee, and I thought he won with 108% of the vote. I hope your whole city gets the cleaning it deserves, because Chicago is a really nice city, but your politicos are nothing but crooks, from the top down! Really sad, isn't it?
It's a shame and it's maddening.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.