*** UPDATED x1 *** Vrdolyak indicted again
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jon Seidel with the scoop…
Onetime powerhouse Chicago alderman Edward R. Vrdolyak, who went to prison after pleading guilty to a high-profile financial scam in 2008, has been indicted on charges of impeding the IRS and income tax evasion.
Vrdolyak had surfaced last year in a federal indictment that accused Daniel Soso, a Chicago attorney, of evading nearly $800,000 in income taxes.
Vrdolyak wasn’t identified by name in the Soso indictment but was revealed in court to be the unnamed “Individual A” in that indictment.
* More…
*** UPDATE *** It was about the tobacco settlement…
The indictment alleges Vrdolyak collected attorney fees in connection with the record $9.2 billion settlement in 1998 between the Illinois attorney general and a number of tobacco companies, even though Vrdolyak was never authorized to perform any work for the state on the lawsuit.
Vrdolyak’s lawyer, Michael Monico, said he is dismayed by the government’s decision to again charge Vrdolyak. He said the former longtime alderman will plead not guilty to the two-count indictment in federal court next Tuesday.
Monico said Vrdolyak had set aside the amount he believes he owes in taxes — more than $250,000 — in an escrow account and was waiting to turn it over when the government formally requested it.
“We have been waiting for the government to request it in the appropriate way,” Monico said. “This is an old case. The government made a mistake in the way they did this levy notice, and we’ve had this money in escrow — for years.”
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:48 am:
It’s inspiring to see a man his age staying active at what he loves.
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:50 am:
Well he’s getting a top notch defense, so we’ll see.
- Not It - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:50 am:
To Jon: yeah, we should just say, “Meh, you’re old! Go ahead and break the law.”
- A guy - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:58 am:
I’m guess he’s as popular on the inside as he is on the outside. It’s a gift.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:00 am:
Wordslinger for the win! lol
- Sue - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:36 am:
His participation in the tobacco litigation was always of great curiosity to the feds
- walker - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:39 am:
What, no wire fraud add-ons?
- sloman2001 - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:41 am:
Just lock him up. Period. Even if he’s not guilty on this matter, I’m sure he’s guilty of something else.
- The Way I See It - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 12:14 pm:
Wordslinger is killing it! Too funny!
Sometimes I wish we cold give someone a thumbs up like on Facebook
- JoanP - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
Oh, come on. He’s being indicted for something that happened ten years BEFORE his 2008 conviction? Why didn’t they use this then?
- Colin O'Scopey - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
This development must be giving John Kass fits. He wants to shout from every building-top about the Combine and Chumbalones, but he’d not dare bite the hand that fed him all those years.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 2:08 pm:
–This development must be giving John Kass fits. He wants to shout from every building-top about the Combine and Chumbalones, but he’d not dare bite the hand that fed him all those years.–
LOL, he’s not the only Eddie who curiously never made the cut for the vast conspiracy Kass has been flogging over the years.
- Anon - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 2:20 pm:
===Why didn’t they use this then?===
Without knowing the details of the case, it’s quite possible that the reason why it wasn’t in the previous case was due to the fact he was impeding an IRS and evading taxes.
Unless during his first trial he came clean and said, “look, I also stole a bunch of money from a gigantic settlement, didn’t report it, and didn’t pay taxes on it” it’s reasonable to charge him again.
And frankly, I don’t think being old really should get them out of public corruption charges. It sets a nice example for the current leadership to see someone who may die in prison go to prison.
- Anon - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
===Monico said Vrdolyak had set aside the amount he believes he owes in taxes — more than $250,000 — in an escrow account and was waiting to turn it over when the government formally requested it.===
In the United States our tax code depends on voluntary compliance. If they believed they owed another $250,000 in taxes they probably should have paid it instead of creating demands on how to be asked for it…
- Sue - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
Read the indictment. There has to be more to this story and maybe other shoes to drop. How is it Vrdolyak was able to steer who the AG hired to represent the State? Whoever had that kind of relationship probably would have had their hands out
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
– How is it Vrdolyak was able to steer who the AG hired to represent the State?–
Ask Jim Ryan.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 3:12 pm:
–Ask Jim Ryan.–
Upon further review, should probably ask Jim Ryan’s old buddy, Stu Levine, too.
Levine and Vrdolyak had a bidness relationship that resulted in both of them having long holidays as guests of the federales.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 4:08 pm:
just when I think I’m out, they keep pulling me back in.