Free Republic

Feds: Pastrick tied to sidewalks-for-votes scheme COURTS: E.C. Sidewalk 6 trial documents allege conspiracy was widespread. BY BILL DOLAN Times Staff Writer This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, October 1, 2004 12:10 AM CDT EAST CHICAGO -- Federal prosecutors named Mayor Robert Pastrick and 14 political allies as unindicted co-conspirators in the 1999 sidewalk scandal that allegedly transformed $20 million in public money into concrete and votes for their re-election. The U.S. attorney's office filed a 44-page document this week that provides a preview of the government's effort to prove six city officials who go on trial Monday in...

PUBLIC CORRUPTION: Residents say Stiglich campaign workers bought votes with cash, crack BY BILL DOLAN Times Staff Writer This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:04 AM CDT EAST CHICAGO -- Allegations that votes were purchased with crack cocaine and money in the city's 1999 mayoral election were made public Wednesday. More than a dozen East Chicago residents told Lake County police detectives five years ago about violations of state election laws involving absentee ballots cast in their name for Stephen R. "Bob" Stiglich, who was challenging Mayor Robert Pastrick. Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez ordered...

(Hammond-AP) -- The son of long-time East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick pleaded guilty today to making kickbacks in a corruption scandal. Kevin Pastrick filed a petition in U-S District Court to change his earlier innocent plea to guilty on seven counts in an indictment. As part of the deal, federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the range Pastrick faces on the counts. Pastrick is a real estate developer. The indictment says he got a 600-thousand-dollar commission from a 1999 land deal. He allegedly paid a 200-thousand dollar kickback to former state Democratic Party Chairman...

(South Bend-AP) -- Former state Democratic Party Chairman Peter Manous has pleaded guilty to eight federal charges. He has also agreed to cooperate with the U-S Attorney's office in its investigation of a ten (m) million-dollar land deal involving a union pension trust fund. Manous, Kevin Pastrick and union official Gerry Nannenga were indicted in September. Pastrick allegedly received a 600-thousand-dollar commission from the sale and paid a 200-thousand-dollar kickback to Manous, who was the union's attorney and agent. Patstrick also was accused of making another kickback to Nannenga, who was the executive treasurer-secretary of the Indiana Regional Council of...