“A former Chicago official admitted Monday that he solicited trucking companies seeking city business to contribute to Mayor Richard Daley's re-election campaign and the 11th Ward Democratic Organization of Daley's brother.
Gerald Wesolowski, a former ranking official in the Water Department, revealed that department employees won promotions and raises for campaigning for Daley, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and others.
Wesolowski, who is cooperating in the growing federal probe of the city's Hired Truck Program, made the admissions as he pleaded guilty to a single count of racketeering conspiracy. Wesolowski said he acted as a “bagman,” collecting nearly $200,000 in cash bribes and campaign contributions from trucking companies vying for Hired Truck work and passing the money on to Donald Tomczak, the former No. 2 official in the Water Department.”
A spokesman for Emanuel said the congressman didn't know Wesolowski either or anything about his activities and wouldn't have permitted such conduct if he had.
“If that is, in fact, what they were doing, it was wrong,” said John Kupper, a consultant for Emanuel who handled inquiries on Monday. “Rahm certainly wouldn't countenance that. But he had no awareness this was going on.”
“In the 2002 primary, there were all kinds of people working for Rahm, lots of volunteers, people from the environmental community, people from labor, anti-gun groups and a lot of Democratic organization” people, Kupper said.
Link: http://www.ipsn.org/hired_truck_scandal/wesolowski_bagman_pleads_guilty.htm Maybe he's telling the truth, but the fact that Obama comes from that political culture, and some of the same players are involved, bothers me.
Rahm Emanuel Was A Freddie Mac Board Member
Also questionable is Freddie Mac's deal with Jesse Jackson while Rahm was a board member
According to Freddie Mac insiders, Emanuel during his time on the board opposed every reform proposed by the Bush Administration that would have impacted Freddie and Fannie Mae.
Rahm Emanuel Was A Freddie Mac Board Member
Also questionable is Freddie Mac's deal with Jesse Jackson while Rahm was a board member
According to Freddie Mac insiders, Emanuel during his time on the board opposed every reform proposed by the Bush Administration that would have impacted Freddie and Fannie Mae.
FR seems to be having problems today, it kept giving me “website cannot be found” errors, then it double-posted.