Posted on 05/29/2009 10:05:22 AM PDT by STARWISE
Ald. Carothers, developer accused of corruption May 28, 2009 UPDATED STORY
Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th), a staunch ally of Mayor Richard Daley, was indicted today on charges he accepted about $40,000 in improvements to his residence as well as meals and tickets to sporting events in exchange for backing a major project by a developer.
The developer, Calvin Boender, was also indicted.
Carothers, 54, was charged with four counts of wire and mail fraud and one count each of accepting a bribe and filing a false federal income tax return.
Boender was charged with four counts of wire and mail fraud, two counts of obstruction of justice, two misdemeanor counts of violating federal campaign finance laws and one count of paying a bribe.
According to federal authorities, Boender sought to transform the city's largest undeveloped tract of land, a 50-acre former rail yard and industrial site in Carothers' West Side ward.
Carothers supported successful zoning changes for the Galewood Yards project, enabling half of the property to sold at a profit of about $3 million to Boender, the charges alleged.
Between June and September 2004, Boender allegedly paid for about $40,000 in improvements to Carothers' home, including painting both the exterior and interior and installing new windows and exterior doors as well as central air conditioning.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagobreakingnews.com ...
Galewood Yards was built on a former West Side industrial site. Photo shows what development looked like on Sept. 26, 2008
Mr. Carothers
I wonder if Fitzie would actually dare to hone in on Daley.
~~Chicago Way ........ PING!
Diogenes is still wandering through the streets of Chicago: I am in search of an honest man, can you help me?/Just Asking - seoul62.....
Ald. Isaac Carothers wore wire for a year
INDICTED | Daley ally charged with fraud and bribery despite reported cooperation with feds in probe of officials, developers
http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/1597858,isaac-carothers-wire-chicago-politics-daley.article
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Excerpt:
The document identifies Carothers as “Public Official A” — with clear identifiers pointing to him, including a reference to one of his family members running for Congress in 2004.
The government filing says Carothers, 54, had been “consensually recording conversations with individuals suspected of engaging in ongoing criminal conduct.”
“These recorded conversations include meetings Public Official A has had with other public officials and real estate developers. The government expects Public Official A to continue his cooperation into late May 2009.”
There’s no indication where Carothers’ year of cooperation led.
His lawyer, Larry Beaumont, would not comment on the unsealed document. “We expect we will plead not guilty at the arraignment and look forward to trial,” Beaumont said.
It’s not clear how many of his colleagues Carothers might have ensnared. He has been somewhat radioactive since the Sun-Times reported last year he was under federal scrutiny. Colleagues have been suspicious he has been wearing a wire, City Hall sources say.
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How mind-numbed can a person be ?? ROFL .. oh yeah,
everything I say is being recorded, but make sure
you add on that patio and dummy the bills. Sheeesh.
I join in your hunt!
From main article
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Boender’s Grand Central Center for Business bought the Galewood Yards site in 2000 when it was zoned as a restricted manufacturing and commercial manufacturing district, according to the indictment. In 2004, Boender sought to develop it for residential and commercial use.
Authorities alleged that throughout 2004 and 2005, Carothers met with city officials in a bid to stop them from designating Galewood Yards as part of a Planned Manufacturing District, which would have prevented him from developing the property for residential or commercial uses.
Boender and Carothers negotiated a compromise in which the city Planning and Development Department supported a plan to rezone Galewood Yards to allow about 15 acres to be developed for residential use and another 10 acres for commercial use, authorities said.
Carothers spoke out in favor of the zoning changes at meetings of the Chicago Plan Commission and the council’s Zoning Committee and voted in favor of a proposed Galewood residential subdivision.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/05/us-indictment-of-elected-official-expected.html
damn he looks guilty!
UNBELIEVABLY stupid or just plain arrogant.
That kind of palm-greasing is a cherished tradition in Chicago. What everyone else calls corrupt, Chicago calls “expeditious.” I’m always amused by Illinois candidates who oh-so-earnestly tell voters they’re going to “clean up the mess” of tribal politics and corruption. There is NO cleaning up that mess. It’s there to stay.
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