Heads Up 7 People Were Arrested in Chicago Under Public Corruption Charges

[mucifer]

Details to follow soon.



http://www.suntimes.com/13833764-761/seven-arrested-in-public-corruption-case-tuesday-to-appear-in-court.html

[postulater]

1. Rahm?

[mucifer]

2. I very much doubt it. Wait and see. This will not be good.

I hate to say it, but there is a lot of corruption in my city. My city pretty much has no republican politicians.

[kysrsoze]

6. Yeah, I doubt it will be Rahm this time, but he already seems dirtier than Daley was.

And that's saying a lot. Between the whole deal with the Infrastructure Trust Ordinance that has little, if any, accountability and the deal by his biggest supporter to flood the city with speed cameras, we're off to one hell of a start. Then, of course, there's his constant effort to destroy CPS in favor of charter schools which don't perform any better, and close down the schools of those who need help the most. I knew he was going to SUCK, and want him out already.

[pipoman]

3. Shocker...surely this isn't happening in Chi-Town..

[mucifer]

4. Update:

Seven people in the Chicago area have been arrested on charges of bribery conspiracy for paying kickbacks to a federal agency official who did not actually exist in return for awarding purported $25,000 cash grants from the agency, federal officials said today.

Dean Nichols, 62, of Oak Park, was charged with three counts of bribery conspiracy, and Elliott Kozel, 51, Chicago, was charged with four counts. Reggi Hopkins, 43, of Chicago; Anthony Johnson, 59, of Chicago; Mary Smith, 54, of South Holland; Regi na Hollie, 48, of Chicago; and Bryant Jessup, 51, of Chicago, were each charged with one count of bribery conspiracy, according to a press release.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-feds-charge-7-with-public-corruption-20120717,0,5210432.story

I'm guessing they are all dems. Wait and see. I'm sure this is going to be big national news.

[tosh]

5. HHS...

"Seven defendants were arrested and charged for allegedly paying kickbacks to a federal agency official in return for awarding multiple $25,000 cash grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13833764-418/seven-charged-with-bribery-conspiracy.html

edited to add: pro'ly not pols but some kind of HC providers.

[Egalitarian Thug]

7. Somebody missed their payments...

Imagine somebody in Chicago thinking that they could bribe a government official...

[frazzled]

8. Sorry to disappoint, but this had nothing to do with the City of Chicago

We've got a campaign treasurer for former State Senator Ricky Hendon (a real creep who is fortunately gone), two Cook County correctional officers, and some assorted unidentified schlubs.

This was not anything that had to do with corruption in city government, but a group of individuals trying to scam HHS.

[mucifer]

9. Hendon is a Chicago democrat so we haven't heard the last of this.

[backscatter712]

10. Guess who's gonna be featured on Rush Limbaugh tomorrow...

As Rush will put it, Obama's a Chicago guy, therefore he's guilty by association...

[frazzled]

11. But not a city official; nor were any of the jerks arrested

Hendon was never a City official, and is gone from Illinois politics. Thankfully: He was our state senator, and I used to vote for completely unlikely opponents of his in the Democratic primaries: some young woman who looked barely 28, etc. No one ever beat him.

I just wanted to make clear to people that this was not, however, any issue having to do with corruption in city government.

[mucifer]

12. It doesn't matter. It's not like the repubs are gonna talk

about my alderman Scott Waguspack who is a great democratic alderman who has challenged Daley and Emanuel on the issues. They are going to have a ton of commercials about the chicago corruption and this scandal.

[frazzled]

13. Well, that's a given

I don't think it's a huge national scandal, though ... no known names (even for here, except for oblique past relationship to Ricky Hendon) and no elected officials.

Again, that probably won't stop the right-wing media.

You know, in addition to having possibly more corruption here, I'd also say that Chicago has more aggressive prosecution, and much more media love for local scandal. Things may be as questionable in other places (I've lived in a number of other cities), but it doesn't come to the fore as often or as, shall we say, colorfully.

[mucifer]

14. and you have to admit there is a lot of scary double dipping going on

with the union pensions in the city and state.