Stroger, Subpoenas and Cook County Politics
Tony is featured in this ABC 7 News story, commenting on the political ramifications of the recently-revealed grand jury investigation into the Stroger Administration:
“There are political machinations at play here to further undermine Todd Stroger, if that’s possible,” said Tony Peraica, Cook County commissioner.
“He’s toast. He’s done. And everybody knows it except Todd Stroger,” Peraica said.
Click here to watch the full video.
The Case against the HDO
The Sun-Times reports this morning that federal prosecutors issued a 49-page filing in its case against former Chicago Streets and Sanitation chief Al Sanchez - the former leader of the Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO).
To land a job or promotion in Streets and Sanitation, supporters of former commissioner Al Sanchez had to go little beyond mailing a resume to City Hall, according to prosecutors. Some threw a party in the name of Sanchez. Others allegedly cleared his sidewalks, washed his windows, mowed his lawn or showered him with gifts and cash.
The allegations came Monday in a 49-page filing by prosecutors against Sanchez, who faces federal charges he traded jobs, promotions and other tax-funded perks for political volunteerism in Mayor Daley’s Hispanic Democratic Organization.
Hmmm….where else has the HDO been in the news recently? Oh, that’s right - two HDO operatives helped emcee a fundraiser for then-State’s Attorney candidate (and supposed reformer) Anita Alvarez.
Is it any wonder the feds - rather than the State’s Attorney - are once again prosecuting a corruption case in Cook County?
Alvarez on the ‘Reform Commission?’
Excuse us if we find it a bit comical that new Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez is serving on Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn’s “Illinois Reform Commission.” As head of the County State’s Attorney Public Integrity Unit, she did not aggressively (if at all) fight public corruption (plent of it in Cook County, no?) and the finance chair of her campaign for State’s Attorney was major Blagojevich fundraiser Bob Clifford - a trial lawyer who has made a fortune suing the county that Alvarez now represents.
So we found this snippet funny from CBS 2 Chicago’s coverage of the Commission’s first meeting yesterday:
Another touchy moment came when former state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, R-Elgin, said “the level of corruption in Illinois is unprecedented and unmatched” and asked “why Illinois’ 100 state’s attorneys are not more engaged in uncovering it and prosecuting it.”
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, a commission member, sat expressionless as he spoke.
Blago’s Recent Donors Revealed
ABC 7 Chicago posted on its Web site tonight a memo from law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson - which represents the “Friends of Blagojevich” political committee - to the Deputy Counsel of the Office of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.
The memo shows recent donors to the governor’s political committee, including donors who gave right up through the end of November 2008. That’s just days before the governor was arrested by federal agents.
One of the most interesting donors - in our opinion - is super-trial lawyer Bob Clifford, whose law offices donated a hefty $10,000 to the governor’s campaign committee. Remember Bob Clifford? He’s the political insider who served as campaign finance chair for “reform” candidate and now-Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
We also love the $2,000 contribution to Blago from Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico, who’s up for re-election this spring. It’s been a week of publicity for Serpico, who was also mentioned heavily in stories about the arrest of Serpico’s donor/consultant Anthony Bruno on federal tax charges.
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