Chicago’s longest-serving U.S. Attorney leaving office June 30
CHICAGO — Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois for more than a decade, today announced that he is stepping down as U.S. Attorney effective June 30, 2012. Mr. Fitzgerald notified the White House, Attorney General Eric Holder, and U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin and Mark Kirk this morning of his decision to step down from the presidentially appointed post that he has held since Sept. 1, 2001, making him the longest-serving U.S. Attorney ever in Chicago.
Mr. Fitzgerald, 51, has no future employment plans and will take time off this summer before considering career options. Including his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in New York, Mr. Fitzgerald is leaving the Justice Department after nearly 24 years.
“When I was selected for this position in 2001, I said that it was one of the greatest opportunities that one could ever hope for, and I believe that even more now after having the privilege of working alongside hundreds of dedicated prosecutors and agents. I have tried not to get in their way. I extend my deepest appreciation to the attorneys and staff for their determined commitment to public service. This was a great office when I arrived, and I have no doubt that it will continue to be a great office,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.
He plans to hold a press conference tomorrow.
*** UPDATE *** From a press release…
STATEMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON RESIGNATION OF
U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
PATRICK FITZGERALD
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the resignation of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald:
“Throughout his distinguished career as a prosecutor, United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has served the American people and the citizens of Illinois with the utmost integrity and a steadfast commitment to the cause of justice.
“From his early consequential years in New York City confronting the terrorist threat to his strong leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Pat has rightly earned a reputation over these last 24 years as a prosecutor’s prosecutor, overseeing significant cases involving public corruption, international terrorism and terrorism financing, corporate fraud, organized crime, and violent crime.
“A hallmark of Pat’s tenure has been his personal commitment to the Department’s mission and his willingness to accept the call of duty – whenever it came and whatever it required. In 2003, he was appointed as special counsel in the investigation into the disclosure of the identity of a covert employee of the Central Intelligence Agency that resulted in the indictment of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, then chief of staff and national security advisor to the Vice President. He also served as lead counsel in the trial, which resulted in Mr. Libby’s conviction on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. In 2010, I appointed Pat as Special Attorney to supervise the investigation that resulted in the pending indictment, in the Eastern District of Virginia, of former CIA officer John Kiriakou for allegedly repeatedly disclosing classified information, including the name of a covert CIA officer and information revealing the role of another CIA employee in classified activities.
“Over the years, he has gained the trust of two presidents and the unwavering confidence of four Attorneys General, and I am deeply grateful to him for his service and his friendship over the years.”
* As I told you yesterday, Gov. Pat Quinn spent part of Tuesday speaking to a class of 8th Graders. From that appearance…
During his hour long talk, Quinn told students that with little more than a week to go before the spring Legislative session is scheduled to adjourn, it was time for lawmakers to get cranking.
“They’re like you, they’ve got to get their homework done,” he said.
Yes, they do. No quarrel with that. But so does the governor. And taking questions like this doesn’t move the ball forward…
At one point, an eighth-grader asked, “What’s a pension?”
* What a total waste of time, unless the governor’s intent was to get his mug on Chicago TV again while continuing his way-too-early victory lap at the very moment that things were falling apart in Springfield…
Legislation restructuring Illinois’ Medicaid system was put on ice Tuesday as legislative leaders attempted to figure out what pieces of the package to pass first and whether to tax tobacco products other than cigarettes.
Feigenholtz said a portion of the legislation that would clear the way for Cook County to take on more Medicaid patients might be removed. The provision would roll back a state mandate against Medicaid growth to allow Cook County to add to the Medicaid rolls 100,000 people who would become eligible in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act. The move to add more enrollees would let Cook County receive federal matching funds for patients who are currently getting free treatment at county hospitals. The measure would not be paid for with tax dollars from outside of the county.
* The reason for removing that provision, which costs state government nothing, is because the Right wing is getting all worked up over it…
Gov. Rick Perry in Texas and Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey supported similar waivers in their states, and here Tom Cross expressed his support, which of course sent off alarms among the national Republican mullahs.
“The Republican leader of the Illinois state house is on the verge of voting to speed up the implementation of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in the state nearly two years early,” the National Review gasped.
“Illinois Liberty PAC will be monitoring the votes of Republican lawmakers. Republican legislators who vote to raise taxes, increase spending, grow the Medicaid rolls and—incredibly—implement Obamacare when Republicans across the rest of the nation are smartly resisting the siren song of federal largesse, will be targeted for replacement in the 2014 primary election season.”
* The Tribune rebuts…
Now, about the Cook County provision. Some conservatives argue that it will expand Medicaid coverage, costing the state money. Reality: It will allow Cook County to capture federal dollars for care that county taxpayers provide now. It will save local taxpayers a lot of money. Republican leaders negotiating the deal are confident that this won’t create new costs or obligations for the state. Proponents point to a similar program crafted last year by Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey.
A Medicaid package could come to a vote in the next few days, if there is a final agreement. Pension reform is still the most essential element to saving the state from fiscal ruin. Anyone who has been around Springfield knows how easily the whole grand bargain could collapse.
Yes, it could collapse, and the governor really needs to be here in town, not gallivanting around the state on a media tour.
* But there are more troubles than just right wing pressure on Republicans…
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, a House sponsor of Senate Bill 2840, said there is more work to do on the legislation, while state Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, the bill’s Senate sponsor, said there was talk about whether to broaden a $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase and hike taxes on all tobacco products, including pipe tobacco.
Doing so could bring in $825 million instead of the estimated $725 million take from a higher tax on cigarettes only. That revenue is from both tax revenue and federal matching funds. Gov. Pat Quinn has called for the legislature to cut Medicaid spending or find new money to cover some of a projected $2.7 billion increase in program expenses for fiscal year 2013, which starts July 1.
The dynamics of changing the massive program, which provides health care for the poor and is paid for by state and federal funds, are difficult.
Discuss.
* Related and a roundup…
* Our view: Illinois General Assembly must act now on fiscal reform
Campante and Do used a sophisticated statistical model to determine which capitals are the most isolated from their states’ population centers. They compared that measure of isolation with a database of convictions on federal corruption charges between 1976 and 2002. (Using federal convictions avoids the problem that some states may have more corruption convictions simply because local prosecutors are more aggressive. In addition, a long time period minimizes possible partisan bias).
The results showed an impressive effect, they wrote: “more isolated capital cities are associated with more corruption.”
The graph illustrates their findings. The states with the highest number of corruption convictions relative to their population size are at the top of the chart. Those with the most geographically isolated capitals are at the left-hand side.
The most corrupt state capitals – Jackson, Miss., Baton Rouge, La., Nashville, Tenn., Pierre, S.D., Springfield, Ill., and Albany, N.Y., for example – are all more isolated than average. Nashville is the least so, being a major city in its own right although distant from other population centers in the state. Springfield and Pierre rank as the two most isolated on the list. The less isolated the capital (the further to the right), the more likely it is to rank low on corruption.
Isolation doesn’t explain everything, of course. Some states, such as Oregon, Washington and Vermont, have unusually low levels of corruption. But the impact of isolation appears strong.
Correlation does not equal causation. Keep in mind that most people are busted for corruption in this state outside Springfield. Rod Blagojevich was recorded cutting crooked deals in his Chicago campaign office. The overwhelming number of people indicted by the feds are low-level types out in secretary of state offices or whatever scattered throughout Illinois.
If Springfield’s alleged isolation was the reason for corruption, you’d expect to see more busts at the Capitol. Hasn’t happened.
Also, Springfield may be a few hours away from the population center, but it’s hardly isolated. Peoria, St. Louis and other mid-sized cities are nearby. Pierre, on the other hand, is literally out in the middle of freaking nowhere. But that capital is almost completely empty when they’re not in session - far more so than our own.
What might cause the relationship between isolation and corruption, the researchers asked. One possibility was that newspapers, which provide most coverage of state governments, may be less likely to cover the capital when it is further from their circulation areas. So they examined the content of 436 U.S. newspapers, searching for references to state government. Sure enough, “in states where the population is more concentrated around the capital,” the study found “more intense media coverage of state politics, and therefore greater accountability.”
Yes, the Chicago newspapers do tend to play up local politics over Springfield, but they’ve done some excellent work as well and have top notch reporters assigned to the Statehouse.
* Under current Illinois law, taking this video of a “Black Bloc” surge against a Chicago Police Department line is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Actually, I could be charged with a felony just for showing it here. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. The unprovoked surge by the moronic “anarchists” starts at about the 25 second mark…
Months after its initial proposal and just a day after the NATO summit that made the law a national issue, a plan to allow citizens to take video recordings of police officers was approved by the Illinois House.
The proposal would allow citizens to record on-duty police officers in a public place. The House approved it by a 71-45 vote Tuesday, and it will be sent to the Senate for further debate.
* There were a bunch of “No” votes on the big board, though…
State Rep. Dena Carli, D-Chicago, opposed the revised bill, saying she fears people may get too close to dangerous situations to get audible sound.
[The Senate] on Tuesday sent Gov. Pat Quinn a separate eavesdropping measure aimed at helping police record drug deals faster. The legislation would allow law enforcement officials to make audio recordings of drug deals with only the permission of a state’s attorney instead of a judge.
“By that time, the drug dealers are gone,” said Democratic Sen. William Haine, a former Madison County state’s attorney.
Democratic Sen. Tony Munoz, a Chicago police officer, said the measure would better protect undercover police. He dismissed constitutional questions raised in debate, saying the courts can review the law. “But if we can save an officer’s life, I think it’s worth it,” Munoz said.
* The Senate came one vote short of passing a new anti-bullying bill. The AP has some info…
The bill would have required anti-bullying policies to include a definition of bullying and a statement saying it was against the law. The policies would have spelled out how allegations could be submitted anonymously and how they would be investigated. Policies also would have been required to describe what could happen to students who bully others, such as counseling or community service.
Some conservatives feared the bill would be used as cover to indoctrinate students. The Illinois Family Institute lobbied for an “opt out” provision that would let students and teachers skip any lessons or events that violated their religious beliefs.
“There are some programs that are not just against bullying in general. Some of them tend to have an agenda of being pro-homosexual,” said Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon.
The legislation would not require schools to offer programs on bullying or homosexuality, but McCarter said it would be a step toward such a mandate.
A step toward such a mandate? Really? The far Right Illinois Family Institute claims the bill does pretty much nothing…
Cassidy stated that this additional law is needed because 3 school districts (out of over 900) have no policy and 20 do not have “adequate” bullying policy. What she failed to make clear during floor debates is that the 3 school districts that don’t have bullying policy are already in violation of existing law, so HB 5290 is unnecessary.
Furthermore, HB 5290, which mandates nothing, would do nothing about the 20 school districts that have — in Cassidy’s view — inadequate policy. If these 20 districts have bullying policy, they are in compliance with existing law.
Each school district and non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school shall create, and maintain, and implement a policy on bullying, which policy must be filed with the State Board of Education.
It would require implementation, not just having a policy.
McCarter and other opponents wanted an addition to the bill that would allow students to opt out of any anti-bullying programs or activities that clashed with their personal or religious beliefs. Supporters said federal law already gave students that right.
* An amendment was introduced yesterday on this very topic by Sen Kirk Dillard…
No student or school employee shall be required to attend or participate in any bullying program, activity, assembly, or event that may infringe upon his or her free expression or contradict his or her personal, moral, or religious beliefs.”.
Dillard is creating chits for another statewide bid, so naturally he introduced the amendment. Why do I say that? Compare Dillard’s amendment to to the language already in the bill…
Nothing in this Section is intended to infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or under Section 3 or 4 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution.
Equality Illinois, which promotes gay rights, was among the supporters of the bill. Spokesman Randy Hannig stressed that the legislation wasn’t specific to homosexual bullying victims. “This is not a bill about gay and lesbian kids. It’s a bill about ending bullying.”
But Hannig speculated that the group’s backing of the bill alone may have prompted others to oppose it. He slammed critics for “trying to hijack this bill for their own political agenda.”
Equality Illinois is a homosexual activist organization. The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is a homosexual activist organization that was once part of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The ACLU is an organization as committed to normalizing homosexuality and gender confusion as GLSEN, Equality Illinois, and the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. And State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) is openly homosexual.
Yeah. It’s all a liberal gay plot to indoctrinate our children and take over the world.
the Carol Stream-based Illinois Family Institute fears the law would silence certain students whose views might be unpopular. For instance, they say, a student who does nothing more than share his opinion that homosexuality is immoral could be labeled a bully and put through anti-bullying lessons that say his religion is wrong.
The group is correct that freedom of expression never should be taken for granted, and the right of students to assert their religious beliefs must always be protected. But this legislation not only protects such students from being falsely labeled as bullies; it also helps assure that they won’t be bullied themselves.
The anti-bullying proposal clearly states that the law is not meant to “infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views.” It contains no read-between-the-lines encroachment on any students’ freedoms. It simply provides another tool to prevent the hurt and even tragedy that vicious teasing and pranks can cause.
We urge the Senate to reconsider and for school officials to be vigilant in ensuring that both free speech and students’ well-being are protected.
West Side Democratic leaders were unable to reach consensus Tuesday on a challenger to indicted Rep. Derrick Smith, but among the finalists is the girlfriend of 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin. […]
But several committee members questioned the integrity of the process, saying Ervin, who sits on the selection panel, admitted during private deliberations that Conyears was his girlfriend. The relationship was not disclosed during the public portion of the meeting. […]
[Secretary of State Jesse White] said that while the relationship revelation was troubling, Conyears was selected as a finalist because she spoke knowledgeably about Springfield’s budget problems and how she would fix them.
After the problems with appointing a hack like Derrick Smith to the House last year, these committeemen now think it’s OK to consider an alderman’s girlfriend? OK, fine, she “spoke knowledgeably about Springfield’s budget problems.” But what the heck? From WBEZ…
Asked if he was romantically involved with Conyears, the alderman replied, “I don’t think that has any bearing on the decision that’s being made.”
And if they are - hypothetically - involved, does Ervin think that would impact how he’d vote?
“No,” he said.
Reached by phone, Conyears would only say she and Ervin are “friends.” She said she sees no conflict for the alderman.
Indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith will likely get a respite from his House colleagues through the end of the Legislature’s spring session.
Several members of the House Special Investigative Committee looking into federal bribery allegations against the Chicago Democrat said chances of the committee meeting before the spring session ends May 31 are slim.
“As you can imagine, things are a little hectic around here right now,” said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, chairwoman of the investigative committee. “My time is very limited by the whole pension thing. Everyone else’s time is taken up by the end-of-session crunch.”
Rep. Nekritz, you’ve had since the primary to take care of this matter. This latest delay is just ridiculous.
Gov. Pat Quinn Tuesday called indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith’s decision to award nearly $185,000 worth of tuition waivers last week “very disappointing” and reiterated plans to sign legislation to abolish what he has called a “political scholarship” program. […]
The group of students whose names Smith initially submitted for tuition waivers for the 2011-2012 school year included two students who didn’t live in his district — as state law requires for the scholarships.
The Illinois State Board of Education rejected those two because the students lived in the neighboring legislative district of Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago).
Ugh.
The unconscionable delays by the House Special Investigating Committee led directly to this scholarship mess.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Illinois workers need a jobs plan. Unemployment in the state stands at 9 percent, families are struggling to make ends meet and the effects of the recession have further endangered thousands of already existing jobs, like the more than 30,000 statewide agricultural jobs that SB 1849 will save.
The job creation boost SB 1849 would provide is why major voices from Illinois’ organized labor community support this gaming solution. Supporters include Illinois AFL‐CIO, Chicago Federation of Labor, IBEW Local 134, SEIU Local 1, and UNITE HERE Local 1.
These labor groups and over 80 members of the Illinois Revenue & Jobs Alliance know this bill would be a “win” for the state of Illinois and its residents. Legislators ought to pass SB 1849 – and start putting workers back on the job.
