Chicago Corruption

Aldermen Use Stealth Fund To Hire Friends, Family, Shady Characters

Chicago Tribune | Posted 11.19.2009 | Chicago


As City Hall struggles to pay for basic services, a stealth budget account worth millions has allowed Chicago aldermen to put family members, campaign...

Urlacher, Tank Johnson Vouched For Indicted Political Figure

Chicago Breaking News | Jeff Coen | Posted 11.13.2009 | Chicago


Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and former Bear Terry "Tank" Johnson are among those who wrote letters late last year praising the character o...

Daley Administration To Push Judge To Remove Corruption Oversight

Fox Chicago | Anita Padilla | Posted 11.13.2009 | Chicago


Mayor Daley's administration wants Chicago alderman to believe that political favors and corruption no longer exist at City Hall. ...

Wafeek Aiyash Charged With Offering $100,000 Bribe To Alderman Isaac Carothers

Chicago Sun-Times | Natasha Korecki and Fran Spielman | Posted 11.05.2009 | Chicago


A Naperville businessman was charged in federal court today with offering a $100,000 bribe to a Chicago alderman in an effort to land concession contr...

Lessons Learned From the Olympic Fiasco

Tom Tresser | Posted 10.19.2009 | Chicago


Tom Tresser

If citizens want to be protected from bad government and further rip-offs, we are going to have to rise to a new level of involvement. I have little hope that our elected representatives will truly represent us.

What Happened in Copenhagen (When We Went to Influence the IOC -- Again)

Tom Tresser | Posted 10.12.2009 | Chicago


Tom Tresser

We had penetrated the multiple rings of security, outfaced the bureaucracy of the International Olympic Committee and stood our ground to deliver information that the mayor, the 2016 Committee and the entire business elite of Chicago didn't want to see and didn't want to acknowledge.

Court Clerk Charged With Taking Bribe To Sway Case

STNG | Posted 10.08.2009 | Chicago


As part of an ongoing investigation into financial corruption, a Cook County Circuit Court clerk was arrested Wednesday for allegedly accepting a brib...

Burned by the IOC, But Not by Burnham: Lessons From the Collapse in Copenhagen

Andy Shaw | Posted 10.07.2009 | Chicago


Andy Shaw

With or without Daley at the helm, it's time to make some other big plans that have the power to stir all of our souls.

Jim Argiropoulos, Top Public Safety Exec, Accused Of Burning $2.25M Of Taxpayer Cash In Scheme

Chicago Sun-Times | FRAN SPIELMAN | Posted 09.29.2009 | Chicago


The inspector general's office is recommending the firing of the No. 2 man at Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications for alleged ...

How Will Chicago Top Beijing's Olympics? Easy!

Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn | Posted 09.28.2009 | Chicago


Craig

Let's show the world what Chicago culture is all about with some new events: Relay races with plain white envelope hand-offs. Blame volleyball. Synchronized aldermen.

Six Aldermen Subpoenaed In Indicted Developer Case

Chicago Tribune | Todd Lighty and Dan Mihalopoulos | Posted 11.23.2009 | Chicago


Lawyers for indicted developer Calvin Boender have served subpoenas on at least six Chicago aldermen in an effort to clear their client of fraud charg...

Out Of Prison, Betty Loren-Maltese Plans Book On Chicago Corruption, Mob

Fox Chicago | Posted 10.17.2009 | Chicago


After nearly seven years behind bars, the first thing former Cicero town president Betty Loren-Maltese wanted when she got out was a cigarette....

Chicago Clout: City Workers Turn Anti-Daley Grievances Into Song

Huffington Post | Posted 09.23.2009 | Chicago


A couple of city workers fed up with Mayor Daley and the rising cost of corruption have taken their anti-clout grievances to YouTube. The result is...

Mayor Daley, Why? (Or Why Not?)

David Murray | Posted 08.24.2009 | Chicago


David Murray

It's not that I'm sick of Mayor Daley. He's as entertaining as ever, and as much a confounding brew of political genius and moral vulgarity, animal intelligence and intellectual imbecility as he ever was.

Jackson Lawyer Thomas Mesereau Defending Indicted Developer Calvin Boender

Chicago Sun-Times | NATASHA KORECKI | Posted 08.08.2009 | Chicago


[I]ndicted Chicago developer Calvin Boender must have deep, diamond-studded pockets because he has somehow snagged Michael Jackson's onetime attorney ...

Homero Tristan, Daley's Personnel Chief, Resigns Weeks After Lying Charge

Chicago Sun-Times | Fran Spielman | Posted 08.07.2009 | Chicago


The top mayoral aide charged with implementing a city hiring system free of politics abruptly resigned today -- less than two weeks after the inspecto...

Hypocrisy in Chicago Politics is Deafening

Ray Hanania | Posted 07.13.2009 | Chicago


Ray Hanania

This sordid pension fund investment is exactly the kind of scandal that should get every member of the pension boards fired, and Mayor Daley should not be given a pass.

Indicted Alderman Isaac Carothers Pleads Not Guilty

AP | MIKE ROBINSON | Posted 07.09.2009 | Chicago


CHICAGO — The chairman of the Chicago City Council's police and fire committee pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he accepted home repair...

Indicted, Cooperating Carothers Returns To City Council

Chicago Sun-Times | Fran Spielman | Posted 07.02.2009 | Chicago


On Monday, indicted Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th) returned to City Hall for the first time since the Chicago Sun-Times disclosed that he, too, had worn ...

ISAAC CAROTHERS INDICTMENT (READ IT)

Huffington Post | Posted 06.28.2009 | Chicago


U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced the indictments of Ald. Isaac "Ike" Carothers (29th) and real estate developer Calvin Boender on bribery an...

Alderman Isaac 'Ike' Carothers Indicted On Federal Corruption Charges

Huffington Post | Posted 06.28.2009 | Chicago


CHICAGO (AP) -- A Chicago alderman was indicted Thursday on federal fraud and bribery charges for allegedly accepting $40,000 in home improvements fro...

Aldermen: City Can't Afford Patronage Watchdog's Fees

Chicago Sun-Times | FRAN SPIELMAN | Posted 06.28.2009 | Chicago


Federal hiring monitor Noelle Brennan has billed Chicago taxpayers for $3.8 million through January --bringing the running tab for the city hiring sca...

Isn't it Time to Let Abe Rest in Peace?

Andy Shaw | Posted 06.26.2009 | Chicago


Andy Shaw

We are fighting an enemy armed with the power of incumbency, and the riches of unfettered fundraising to hold their ground at all costs.

City-Subsidized Affordable Housing Units Being Flipped For Big Profits

Chicago Sun-Times | TIM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO | Posted 06.15.2009 | Chicago


Mayor Daley promised that one-fifth of the homes built as part of the massive makeover of the historic Maxwell Street market would be set aside as aff...

Replacing Quigley on Cook County Board a Lesson in Democracy, Sort of

James Warren | Posted 05.14.2009 | Chicago


James Warren

When a committee gathered Saturday to fill the Cook County Board vacancy created by spirited reformer Mike Quigley's ascension to the U.S. Congress, it was no surprise that talk of a fix was rampant.