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Tristano gets year and a day
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 Mike Tristano was sentenced today. A onetime top aide to former Illinois House Minority Leader Lee Daniels was sentenced to one year and one day in prison this morning and will pay a $120,000 fine after admitting he diverted state resources to political campaigns. Apparently, he also helped the feds bug someone else. Lawyers also disclosed in court today that Michael Tristano, 58, Daniels’ former chief of staff, cooperated covertly by attempting to record conversations with another individual over the phone. Tristano’s lawyer, Jeffrey Steinback, would not say who his client called, but it has been apparent over the last several months that Tristano is providing information about his onetime boss. Tristano said he broke the law “out of loyalty to House Republican leadership,” and added: “Frankly, I compromised my conscience to fit in and go along,” Tristano said. I did not make that up.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 1:53 pm:
I wonder who else is gonna get snagged in this.
- Cal Skinner - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 2:02 pm:
And, the other question, just as intriguing, is whose testimony convinced Mike that he could not win a court battle.
- capitol view - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 2:10 pm:
“out of loyalty to House Republican Leadership.”
Tristano inherited one of the best legislative staffs at the Capitol, and within a year had forced out virtually everyone who had been on board longer than himself. This purging wasn’t about loyalty to House Republican leaders or performing the best work product for the House Republicans, this was about loyalty to Tristano himself.
Tristano tried to be the political brains behind Lee Daniels, showing initiative to improve Daniels’ prior election results. To now throw Daniels under the bus is the final disloyalty and the final demonstration of his focus on only himself. You can see why Tristano got his nickname of “the Anti-Christ”.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 2:54 pm:
good points Cal Skinner and capitol view. One reaps what one sows. I imagine there is a keg party going on at CMS as we discuss this.
- dum de dum dum - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 2:57 pm:
Was he ever considered one of the boy wonders or was he always too evil?
Was he as bad as Fawell? Maybe not, Scott got a lengthy prison sentence.
Boy, Tristano thought he was tough. And then to wear a wire. He has no guts at all. Does he lose his retirement?
He is as much a weasle as Udsteun is.
- Jechislo - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 2:59 pm:
It couldn’t have happened to a nicer self-centered, egotistic, arrogant, insolent, overbearing, pompous jerk. I watched this guy in action as the Director of CMS. A year and a day isn’t near long enough. If he had to live by the adage of “what goes around comes around” he would have to live to be at least 150 before he got everything coming to him.
- Establishment Republican - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 3:21 pm:
After graduating from college in the spring of 2000, I thought I had a decent chance of being hired by the HRCC and I interviewed for a position. I did not receive it and that was extremely disappointing to me at the time and I have since moved on and sort of put the idea of having a paid job in politics on the backburner, (at least for now, I still would maybe like to do it one day). Looking back though at all of this, I should be pretty happy they passed on me though, I take it.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 3:33 pm:
Tristano has no conscience. One year is not enough for all the havoc he brought and lives he ruined.
- murphy - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 4:03 pm:
I can’t believe this article doesn’t mention anything about his staff attorney at the pollution control board being arrested a few weeks ago for attempting to meet an underage girl. A board member and his attorney assistant in jail at the same time…has that ever happened before?
BTW, what is the deal with his wife? When is her next election for Judge? Shouldn’t she have to give back any money he loaned her campaign or received from his contacts? Has anybody investigated to see if his attorney assistant worked on her campaign while he was being paid to be at the PCB?
- M. Tristano's Conscience - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 5:17 pm:
I want to categorically deny that I was ever asked about any of the sleazy ideas that may have developed in other parts of this body, including nearby brain lobes.
No one asked whether is it was a good idea to use SOS employees to work the rep races, Or throw all that money at Roger Stanley’s company Or run races from that sweet office funded by the U of I, Or profit from all those LLC’s we set up Or…. . I think you see how the I, the Conscience was always ignored & never involved.
- M. Tristano's Conscience - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 5:20 pm:
BTW Mr/Mrs/Ms Murphy the loans replaced all the checks Roger and Mike wrote from the real estate LLC’s that were headquartered at Roger’s offices. The Judge’s campaign returned that money any then she got the “loans”
- Jechislo - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 5:29 pm:
I forgot to add something in my 2:59 post.
In reference to Mikey’s statement, “Frankly, I compromised my conscience to fit in and go along”.
This is one of the most untrue statements Tristano has ever uttered - and there were myriads of untrue statements that came out of his mouth. Why do I say this? Because Tristano has no conscience. Anyone who has ever been around this evil piece of dirt will testify to this.
- NW burbs - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 5:50 pm:
It’s too bad his wife beat out a very good judge in Jim Wascher… all for want of an R instead of D.
- Karma Chameleon - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 6:15 pm:
We CMS old-timers are not just popping corks, we are dancing on tables! This guy truly was deserving of much more than he got tagged with, and a year seems like he got off too easy by far. This guy was like the Kim Jong Il of CMS and made literally thousands of staff miserable, with bad decision-making, horrible manners, (”how dare you duck whe I throw things at you!?!”)and despicable, immoral behavior. And the crew of incompetent political hires he dragged along with him looked like the model for what Blago’s Bunch do now. There has been no one worse than him at the Director’s job, no one, in all that time. At least no one tagged Rumman or his predecessors as a certifiable psychopath.
I only wish I could see footage of his perp walk.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 6:38 pm:
I often heard Fawell was a Tristano clone, only dummer.
Looks like they were both dum.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 6:44 pm:
Tristano will surely lose his retirement benefits.
- M. Tristano's Conscience - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 6:49 pm:
As we know Scotter was too busy chasin’…
Has anyone noticed that Dr. Don’s Bag man got 2 months and Sen. Swanson drew probation while we get winter in Wisconsin. How unfair.
- M. Tristano's Conscience - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 6:50 pm:
I meant Scooter
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:00 pm:
Lots of brave citizens slamming the guy anonymously. Real stand up of you>
- mmph - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:34 pm:
This has the potential of having an impact on the governors race, has there ever been a race where both candidates were under indictment?
- B Hicks - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:41 pm:
Does this dude know Judy? I’m just curious.
- M. Tristano's Conscience - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:22 pm:
Oh my gosh
someone is suggested we were ordered to send stateworkers on statetime to help Topinka. I hope no one thinks that possibly be true. JBT must be the candidate of change. At least that we what Scooter and Dr. Don told us at presentencing school. We are all checking on line for our early voting applications tonight.
- NumbersGuy - Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 10:17 pm:
Jechislo and Karma, this ex-Tristano CMSer joins you in celebrating the denouement of our former boss.
I lost track of the times this guy called me stupid, corrupt, both, or related synonyms. How ironic.
As an aside, B Hicks, the juvenile attacks on JBT across this blog are really growing old-perhaps you could join Bill in exile. Just a thought.
- Anon - Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 8:52 am:
How can you find out what campaigns benefited from this illeagal scheme? What campaigns did these tax payer funded hacks work for?
- Beowulf - Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 10:00 am:
For ANON at 8:52—- I know one of the young Republican staffers that worked under Tristano. They eventually quit their job because they were so disallusioned with what they saw going on. And, yes, they finally went to the proper (Fed) authorities to report it. Hence, Tristano is going on an all expenses paid vacation, courtesy of the taxpayers. One of the candidates that this young person had to help (as per Tristano’s instructions) lost in their race anyway so I prefer not to mention the individual’s name. This candidate was a decent person that shouldn’t be painted with the black brush of barely knowing Tristano. This particular GOP candidate was not aware of how their campaign helpers were being used and abused.
Tristano rolled over on Lee Daniels to save his own hide. I don’t blame him. It is the most effective tool the FBI has to extract the information necessary to win convictions in Federal court.
The sad fact is that crooks like Arthur “Ron” Swanson manage to obtain “Get Out Of Jail Free” cards by hiring high priced defense attorneys and whining about their advanced age and how bad their health is. It is very effective in court. At least it was with US District Court Judge Robert Gettleman who only gave George Ryan’s accomplice just 2 years probation and 8 months of home confinement with a mere $20,000 fine. We have two standards for justice in this state of ours: Reduced judicial punishment for the wealthy and politically connected which eventually amounts to a mere “slap on the wrist” AND for the poor and non-politically connected, the far more severe sentencing that we see (deservedly) handed out. Like Marie once said, “Let them eat cake.”
- Not So Fast - Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 10:07 am:
Murphy, I didn’t see anything in the press about the PCB attorney getting busted. When was this? Any links to articles?
- M. Tristano's Conscience - Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 1:09 pm:
To the Man concerned about “juvenile” attacks on the JBT please rest assure that the attacks will approve when her campaign warrants. Right now looks like juvenile attacks is hitting the spot Down 11!
To the person wondering which campaign benefited I think you can assume all campaigns got illegal help, kicked in money to other campaigns or looked the other way when state staff was sent the political work
- murphy - Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 1:43 pm:
Here is the link. This guy was Tristano’s assistant at the pollution control board.
http://dailyherald.com/woodridgestory.asp
- Dundee - Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 10:54 pm:
McHenry County is far better off without a Daniels/Tristano lackey. The person they ran initially (who lost) was a joke in the county. A replacement to Hughes he was not. Cal Skinner was also a god State Rep.
I was fortunate to work on Senate Staff rather than for House GOP (Satan).