38 Comments - Amalia - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 6:53 pm: Wow. Just wow. sad. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 6:57 pm: Can Sen. Link be the missing link all along? Whomever it is in the Chamber wearing a wire since 2016… first you have Solis wearing a wire in the Chicago City Council, there’s a state Senator, maybe/possibly/probably(?) Link, wearing a wire in the Illinois Senate… whew. “They come as your friends when you’re most in trouble… “ - Blue Dog Dem - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:02 pm: Hmmmm …the missing Link. - Blue Dog Dem - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:02 pm: Sorry Ow. Missed ya. - Donnie Elgin - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:03 pm: Dem Senate/House committee chairs and now the assistant majority leader. Don’t look for much from the veto session. - Just Me 2 - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:03 pm: If it is Link and he lied when confronted by you that would be very bad. Any respect I still had for him (which isn’t much I might add) would be thrown out the window. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:07 pm: - Blue Dog Dem - No worries. Some things are too obvious. === In one secretly recorded conversation, Link asks Arroyo what’s in it for him if he helps sponsor Arroyo’s legislation=== Yep… “They come as your friends when you’re most in trouble… “ - Donnie Elgin - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:13 pm: Link was among the most influential voices on the gaming bill this spring . Like moths to a flame for some members. The wire may be very interesting listening. - Norseman - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:13 pm: “Technically, it wasn’t a wire, it was a Bluetooth mic.” - Ok - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:20 pm: Gaming bill Capital bill That’s 50% of signature achievements right there… - Captain Obvious - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:22 pm: So whose in line for goodies if the so called fair tax passes? - Cadillac - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:23 pm: === - Donnie Elgin - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:13 pm: The wire may be very interesting listening. === This. He may have been cooperating with the Feds for just shy of 3 years, in any number of “deals”. - DTAG - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:25 pm: ===If it is Link and he lied when confronted by you that would be very bad. Any respect I still had for him (which isn’t much I might add) would be thrown out the window.=== If it is Link part of his deal to cooperate might be to not tell anyone he is cooperating, just saying. - Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:25 pm: Not that it matters, but this would’ve been my guess. It’s probably a chore to stay clean when you are the gambling point man for so long. Almost feel bad for the guy. - Been There - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:26 pm: I have no idea if it’s Link and no idea who the papers sources are. If the feds didn’t leak out Links name it might have been someone close to Arroyo who is probably blowing a gasket since his arrest. - Responsa - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:31 pm: Yep. Guess now it’s safe to say that Link was my guess when I first read some of the sting details earlier. He’s a pretty good actor. - 47th Ward Whig - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:33 pm: Is Link up for re-election in 2020? - Cadillac - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:37 pm: The Senate is really in a pickle now. If it is Link, I hope he goes about his business as if nothing has happened. They gonna throw him out of office for cooperating with the Feds? - 44th - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:38 pm: public corruption and mafia investigations about the same. taxes, wires, will they start calling him a rat now like in Chicago? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:40 pm: === Is Link up for re-election in 2020?=== If you’re wired up, the last thing you’re thinking about once it’s in the open is… “how will I get re-elected” Mostly, those folks are thinking “Hope my sentence is much lighter” - Responsa - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 7:57 pm: ==I hope he goes about his business as if nothing has happened. They gonna throw him out of office for cooperating with the Feds?== Well, if it’s him and he was already caught on his taxes and if now he’s outed and of no further use to the Feds I would imagine there will be a denouement for him that does not involve voters. - Billy Sunday - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 8:02 pm: So does Link now goes hiding after this late evening revelation? (just as then-Alderman Solis did when he was outed he never returned to the Council). Because moving forward his colleagues, heck any GA member, will not trust him.. Not cool lying to Rich.. - Glengarry - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 8:09 pm: Boom goes the dynamite. I wasn’t expecting it to be Link. Whew. OW is right. They always come as friends. - PC - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 8:13 pm: I would be very surprised if it is Link. None this sounds like him. - Responsa - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 8:27 pm: This is a huge, potentially wide ranging deal. Link is Mr. Lake County Democrat. Don’t overlook that Waukegan just got one of the coveted six casino licenses even though there is a fair amount of grass roots community resistance. Terry Link tried to run for mayor of Waukegan a few years back but came in last in the primary. - Bruce Farley’s Report Card - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 8:40 pm: Thinking that if it wasn’t Link he’d have a statement out by now. It’s fairly obvious that lotsa these guys learned nothing under the GOP cycle of corruption a couple of decades ago. And the GOP learned nothing from the Dems before them. Sad, sick, angry and, frankly, not surprised. - DuPage Saint - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 9:21 pm: I actually feel sorry for Pritzker I bet he never realized what goes on. Business may be cut throat but politicians another level - Rod - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 9:36 pm: Responsa is correct it is a huge deal, especially for every Senator and Represenative involved in trying to get casinos for their districts. At one point or another they likely talked with Link, even if nothing illegal happened you have to be freaked out that you may be on a recording. - Southsider - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 9:47 pm: Perhaps it’s time to slow down on issuing new casino licenses until there is a better picture of what Senator Link has exposed himself to in this case. The process is certainly tinged by these revelations and open the door to further scrutiny of the latest gambling changes. - Lake Woes - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 10:23 pm: If this comes out a year ago about Link it probably changes 3 or 4 lake county races. I know the feds wanted more but disappointed that lake county voters were left in the dark about the corruption. - Anon312 - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 10:42 pm: McKinney hasn’t reported that it was Link. He and WBEZ seem to be on top of this story… Could it be that the papers got it wrong? - statehoss - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 10:46 pm: >Because moving forward his colleagues, heck any GA member, will not trust him.. I’m not sure why you say this. I would trust him. I wouldn’t be offering him money in return for his help with a bill. Which legislators do you think wouldn’t trust him? … :-))) - IF - Monday, Oct 28, 19 @ 10:59 pm: Not Link? Than Who? - Elliott Ness - Tuesday, Oct 29, 19 @ 7:25 am: This onion has many layers, keep peeling. Gaming and capital bills seem to bring out the worst in folks. The entire system needs an overhaul when ANY contributions come in exchange for any consideration even at the lowest levels…this was higher level inside but still rooted in a system that allows lobbyists to provide money for favor. Real reforms would stop the nonsense of allowing campaign contributions from any bundled, corporate or large individual donations. Never thought I would believe that we need to publicly fund elections in Illinois but maybe it is time. Likely would cost us less than these built in corruption costs. - lake county democrat - Tuesday, Oct 29, 19 @ 7:28 am: Responsa - I resent that remark - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 29, 19 @ 7:50 am: From the twitterverse; @davemckinney - Link says he has not dealt with the feds in their corruption probe, didn’t wear a wire, wasn’t offered kickbacks and didn’t have tax problems as the Arroyo complaint alluded to: “The answer is no. Just leave it at that. I really don’t know what to say. I am not witness No. 1.” And… @davemcminney - And for good measure, Link wanted to make this point loud and clear after the day he had today in Springfield: “I wouldn’t know why anybody would want to cooperate with any law enforcement if this is the abuse you’re going to take if you are cooperating.” This is why you wait. The papers believe they have it cold, and they may have it cold, but until it plays out. Also, McKinney is as good as any, including the reporters that got it at the Trib and the Times. I’ll be very interested how these words by Link are first received, and how they fare in the weeks ahead. I know I don’t know, but the feds say in charges there was one Senator wearing a wire. We’ll see if Link is truthful. - Arock - Tuesday, Oct 29, 19 @ 7:58 am: Another unethical public servant receiving taxpayer money while cheating on his own taxes taking down another unethical public servant to reduce payment for their own crime. Illinois politics 101, corruption starts at the top. - Nearly Normal - Tuesday, Oct 29, 19 @ 10:26 am: OK Florida–let’s see your corrupt politicians top this one! I think Illinois has pulled ahead in the “Our politicians are more corrupt than yours” state race! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.