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Home Front: Politix

Corruption probe roils Illinois political machine

2019-12-13

Why are they roiled? After over a century of this kind of thing, they should be used to it.

[THEHILL] A sprawling federal investigation into lobbying, patronage and alleged corruption threatens to upend Illinois’s powerful Democratic machine as agents raid offices and interrogate witnesses from reliably Democrat Chicago, aka The Windy City or Mobtown

reliably Democrat Chicago, aka The Windy City or Mobtown

...home of Al Capone, the Chicago Black Sox, a succession of Daleys, Barak Obama, and Rahm Emmanuel...
to Springfield.

Federal agents have conducted searches of at least nine homes and offices in connection to a probe of Commonwealth Edison, the state’s largest utility, and the political operation run by state House Speaker Mike Madigan, the most powerful Democrat in Illinois.

Those agents have been asking questions about Madigan, his associates and his political operation, according to two people who have sat for interviews with law enforcement.

A part of the investigation appears to focus on the army of lobbyists Commonwealth Edison and its parent company, Exelon, employ in Springfield, some of whom allegedly won contracts for no-show jobs.

The companies have publicly acknowledged receiving at least two subpoenas seeking information about their lobbying practices in Springfield and their relationship with former state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D).

Of the 23 lobbying firms Exelon paid to advocate on their behalf this year, 15 have ties to Madigan, the radio station WBEZ reported. Eight employ former top Madigan staffers. Five employ retired state Democratic politicians who served under Madigan. And two employ lawyers who worked for Madigan while also lobbying for the utility.

Posted by:Fred

#9 My first thought was to wonder who would take the place of the Madigan machine.

Unfortunately, Aesop was wrong: "A Fox with its tail caught was a feast for Mosquitoes. A Hedgehog offered to remove them. Fox said no; those on him were full; new would take more blood." The bloodsuckers in Chicago and Springfield are never full.

Posted by: James 2019-12-13 21:15

#8 Can those federal agents come to California when they're done with Illinois? Please?

Posted by: Abu Uluque 2019-12-13 13:05

#7 When even the chumbolones start to say "what's that smell?"

Posted by: M. Murcek 2019-12-13 11:11

#6 Similar to Atlanta today, but devoid of the theft of rural Georgia taxes and resources.

Posted by: Besoeker 2019-12-13 10:52

#5 ..when I say independent, I mean separate completely. Their own little nation. See - Singapore.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-12-13 10:17

#4 make these maga-cities, independent city states.

I like the idea in theory, but in practice you just end up with a bunch of districts, like DC, wanting full representation. At the level of giving Chiraq, EllAy, Detoilet, NYC and other commie enclaves their own senators it's a complete non starter.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2019-12-13 09:52

#3 ..make these maga-cities, independent city states. See how long they survive. Well, they claim the collective brilliance that the low landers just don't understand. Shouldn't be a problem.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-12-13 09:18

#2 Meet the people working to kick Chicago out of Illinois

It is midday and hot as a firecracker in the historic town of Mount Vernon, Ill.

The sun is nearly unbearable on the asphalt parking lot of the Fairfield Inn out by the highway as a stream of people makes its way inside the lobby; spry retirees in couples; middle-aged people carefully shepherding white-haired parents in their 80s; a few younger folks.

Inside, state Rep. Brad Halbrook, one of the event’s organizers, is on damage control, ricocheting between groups of men in wide suspenders and ladies in T-shirts and slacks. He shakes hands, apologizing, explaining to the crowd spilling through the lobby that they will have to wait for a second session of the meeting they have come to attend — the meeting room is already standing room only. The July 20 event, planned for about 60 people and advertised on Facebook, seems to have drawn around 200.

Ron and Carolyn Carnell, a couple from Hartford, Ill., didn’t take any chances — they brought their own folding nylon chairs and snagged a spot inside the meeting room. Ron made Carolyn forego lunch at the Cracker Barrel so that they could arrive early. “I knew in my heart of hearts this thing was going to be packed,” he says. A former mayor of his small town, he knows a lot of people, and in his circles, the topic of today’s meeting comes up a lot, he says.

On the screen at the front of the room, the first slide of a Power Point presentation hovers: “A Plan for Splitting the State of Illinois.”

Posted by: Besoeker 2019-12-13 08:15

#1 Maybe the federal agents can't look the other way anymore, with the Orange Man in power?

Posted by: Bobby 2019-12-13 08:12

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