* Sun-Times…
Several southwest suburbs that federal agents recently visited as part of a wide-ranging corruption investigation have been using an insurance company that employs Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s son.
Alliant/Mesirow Insurance Services and company executive Andrew Madigan — neither of which has been accused of any crime — add an intriguing link to people federal authorities appear to be interested in.
Among them: Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, who doubles as the mayor of McCook and whose office was raided Sept. 26. McCook village records show Tobolski invited Andrew Madigan in 2011 “to submit a proposal” to help secure liability coverage.
“Due to the sensitive nature of insurance, I have been very cautious about switching our program in the past,” Tobolski wrote. “However, I trust that you will be direct with the Village regarding our insurance options and potential cost savings and would like you to assist the Village.”
A year later, Tobolski wrote to the underwriting branch of another insurance firm to say the village had hired Alliant/Mesirow — then called Mesirow — as its “exclusive insurance brokers” for property, general liability and auto insurance, records show.
The search warrant served on McCook contains no references to insurance and Alliant/Mesirow does a lot of business in the suburbs. So, it could be an intriguing coincidence.
But, I mean, who really knows for sure about anything with this probe?
…Adding… WGN TV…
A wide-ranging federal corruption investigation has apparently not yet reached the Illinois House of Representatives.
WGN Investigates sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the clerk of the Illinois house. The request was for copies of law enforcement subpoenas sent since January 1. But the clerk said the Illinois House has not been subpoenaed.
- Squints - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:21 am:
Such a small town.
- Altgelds Ghost - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:24 am:
The prince and Mr. Magoo, who sets the table for the prince, are insatiable. The end is near.
- JvSLP - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:26 am:
I feel like Madigan is Teflon Don. His name keeps coming up in various probes and other issues but he seems to usually come out clean on the other side. What would it actually take to bring him down?
- Just Me 2 - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:53 am:
JvSLP - the target and focus of an investigation is usually the last to be brought in.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:00 am:
To this…
=== A wide-ranging federal corruption investigation has apparently not yet reached the Illinois House of Representatives.
…
But the clerk said the Illinois House has not been subpoenaed.===
Don’t want it to happen, don’t wish for it to happen, watch what does happen.
This/these investigation(s) has/have been so widespread and so encompassing, and with the two, state Senator Sandoval and the Exelon dove-tailing (is Sandoval the fulcrum for both in the end?) it’s hard, today, to grasp ALL that is being sought, why, and the end game.
So, it’s best to watch what does happen, especially when indictments come… or don’t come.
Dorothy Brown’s continued scrutiny is still seemingly “ongoing” which if you think about it, how much more would they need to discuss further action on Brown? Welp, apparently more.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:01 am:
===What would it actually take to bring him down?===
This investigation.
- Practical Politics - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:04 am:
The circle of political/business entanglement never ends. Mesirow was formerly run by the late James C. Tyree who Daley appointed to run the City Colleges of Chicago for a decade and where Lisa Madigan cut her teeth. Commonwealth Edison’s Frank Clark and Cheryl Hyman both were appointed by Daley to the Chicago Board of Education and the City Colleges. This stuff has been going on for a long time. I think Carl Sandburg wrote about it all.
- Sue - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:10 am:
Does the name Near North Insurance ring a bell. Mesirow seems to be the new Near North. We know how that ended
- Regular democrat - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:11 am:
I’m sensing a lot of FOIA activity asking every municipality in his district seeking insurance info. I would bet quite a few if not all do business with this company.
- SAP - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:14 am:
As Sigmund Freud said: “Sometimes it’s just a cigar”.
- Ok - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:17 am:
Madigan’s son’s insurance company, Senator Harmon’s law firm.
Did they get a group discount?
- Practical Politics - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:20 am:
@Sue:
It was hilarious when former Alderman Burton Natarus (42nd) tried to tell the press that he was not a Mickey Segal guy. I wonder what happened to the private park in Lake County?
- Steve - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:25 am:
On this one, it’s hard to argue with anything OW said.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:28 am:
Practical Politics “I think Carl Sandburg wrote about it all.” So did the Chinese philosopher Chang-Tzu:
Those who would have good government without its correlative misrule,
and right without its correlative wrong, do not understand the principles of the universe.
Chang-Tzu, @400 BC
- Paddyrollingstone - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:29 am:
Sorry the philosopher’s musings were mine.
- SpfdNewb - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:40 am:
OW, Steve want some popcorn while we watch this show?
- Chi Catlicks League - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:41 am:
Lots of Who’s Who among The Who of Who’seses working at Mesirow for years now. Tyree was a Marist guy, which means he was a south side guy. Most of these kids don’t go Ivy League, but to the Mount Carmel’s, St. Ignatiuses, Marists and Brother Riceses.
Check it out.
- Ally McBeal - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:41 am:
Quid Pro Quo. Hard to prove and likely the fly in lots of ointment. The Speaker understands this and acts accordingly.
- Responsa - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:42 am:
Insurance agencies have a whole lot of money sitting around in what are supposed to be legally required trust funds and reserves. For those too young to remember Mike Segal (who went to federal prison) and Near North Insurance Brokerage:
“The prosecution also alleged that Mr. Segal, a politically connected Chicago businessman, made political contributions and provided discounted and sometimes free insurance to several Chicago politicians and prominent business leaders, reimbursing the expenses with money from the trust account.”
https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20040627/story/100014873/near-north,-owner-convicted
- Steve - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:43 am:
- SpfdNewb -
We really don’t know what we are watching. It’s not a crime to be a relative of a politician. Working a job in the private sector isn’t a crime.
- Pundent - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:48 am:
=Does the name Near North Insurance ring a bell. Mesirow seems to be the new Near North.=
For good reason:
www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/mag-coverstory/2004/01/12/35648.htm
- Responsa - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:55 am:
Tobolksi’s written question about possibly switching insurance sounds an awful lot like “what are you going to do for me?”. Whether anything comes of this at all it’s easy to see why that particular statement might get scrutiny from the Feds as part of a larger investigation and why they might be interested in finding out exactly how Mesirow replied to that specific question.
- Name/Nickname - May soon be required - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:55 am:
Andrew Madigan gets his coffee at Starbucks… so does Tobolski..hmm
Tangential connection. Talk about a stretch. Sounds like Q stuff.
- sewer thoughts - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:01 am:
Anonymous @ 10:28, an ancient way of saying “Thank God for the competition.”
- SSL - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:22 am:
Don’t waste your time pondering if this is what brings Madigan down.
We’ll only find out about his dirty laundry well after he’s gone. If we live that long.
Nobody will roll over on the king while he’s still around.
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:27 am:
Mesirow was a CMS “mandated use” vendor (replacement insurance for IT hardware) when Jim Edgar and / or Ryan was governor. Which would mean Andrew Madigan (or his father) didn’t create this … .
- Flat Bed Ford - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:28 am:
=Nobody will roll over on the king while he’s still around.=
Facing serious time in a federal penitentiary has a way of changing someones mind on this.
- ZC - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:36 am:
One complication (I’m spitballing here, but most of us are) is that Sen Martin Sandoval doesn’t sound to me like the most politically loyal guy who would never -try- and turn evidence / “flip” on someone higher than him, to try and ameliorate his sentence when caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
But precisely because Sandoval doesn’t seem like the most upstanding character, were I the feds, I’d want to triple-check anything he’s offered in return for a lighter sentence.
- Chopfewey - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 12:55 pm:
DuPage county uses Mesirow as its insurance broker. Over the past few months, no bid contract issued to Mesirow to handle the transition of consolidating the employees accounts.
- Fav human - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 12:57 pm:
“triple-check anything he’s offered”
Pretty dangerous game to play with the feds. Might get you an obstruction of Justice charge AND tougher sentence when they catch you.
- Fav human - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 12:58 pm:
” no bid contract”
Because those never are used by corrupt pols…
- Burr - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:15 pm:
Gotta love the people analogizing this stuff to Dorothy Brown. The ostrich effect runs deep in this state, I suppose.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:18 pm:
- Burr -
LOL.
In the United States, we investigate, indict, plea… then maybe have a trial, then a verdict.
Lemme guess… “we’ll convict, then let’s have a trial.”
That’s why the Dorothy Brown analogy is in play.
The ONLY reason.
- Burr - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:27 pm:
-OW-
You have a pretty substantial blind spot as it relates to this stuff, not sure why.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:29 pm:
=== You have a pretty substantial blind spot===
If you call following the law a blind spot, that says more about you than me.
- Burr - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:44 pm:
This isn’t about the law, this is about politics. Whomever (anyone?) will have their day in court over this will be served by the judicial process. That’s the beauty of our country.
But there is a political process, too, and you seem to be unwilling to connect any dots to make judgments in that arena. It’s an honorable approach, I suppose, but totally divorced from what is really going on in this state.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:56 pm:
=== But there is a political process, too, and you seem to be unwilling to connect any dots to make judgments in that arena.===
What is your beef? Tell me what I should think… lol
Try not to mouth breathe.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:00 pm:
=== But there is a political process, too, and you seem to be unwilling to connect any dots to make judgments in that arena.===
Dorothy Brown won elections, Ed Burke won elections.
One under investigation, one indicted…
I’m confused to your… salivating for ignoring process.
- Ralph McGuire - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:02 pm:
I’ve know Andrew Madigan for a long time. He is a brilliant and very ethical young man. Be assured that when the dust settles he will be standing tall.
- Powdered Whig - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:14 pm:
Mesirow is a huge multinational corporation. This article is like saying, someone’s son worked for Chase Bank and so many municipalities chose to utilize Chase Bank that there must have been something corrupt going on. I suppose any link, no matter how small, will be used by the media to manufacture a story.
- Roman - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:21 pm:
@Burr
Just to recap. Dorothy Brown’s cell phone was seized by the feds. Everyone assumed an indictment was forthcoming. It never happened.
We’re all guilty of playing these parlor games when an investigation becomes public…how it got started, who’s flipping on whom, who’s going down next. We just don’t know until they hold the press conference. That’s why Dorothy Brown’s name gets mentioned. What we think we know might be wrong.
- Bertrum Cates - Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:52 pm:
I certainly hope the Sun-Times knows more than what it was able to confirm for publication. This seems a little thin.
That said, this story was published at 5 a.m. today, and I presume the reporters contacted the company within a reasonable time beforehand to ask for comment. (Maybe they did not. I do not see any mention in the story of them having attempted to contact Alliant representatives.)
Despite all of this, no statement from Alliant corporate comms? Hmm.