* Welp…
* This information was sort of cryptically revealed last week…
Federal prosecutors want a judge to send a longtime Dorothy Brown worker to prison for more than two years after they said she lied to a grand jury, “threw a wrench in the wheels of justice and ground them to a halt.”
They also said the lies Beena Patel told the grand jury investigating job-selling allegations in the office of Brown, the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, “directly impacted the government’s ability to charge those most culpable in the illegal activity.” […]
The feds’ investigation centered in part around a $15,000 payment by Sivasubramani Rajaram allegedly to land a job at the clerk’s office. The feds say Rajaram made a $5,000 cash payment at a meeting at the Corner Bakery across from the Daley Center. But when prosecutors asked Patel about that meeting in front of the grand jury, they said Patel gave misleading answers.
“She attempted to minimize her own involvement by stating that Rajaram slid the envelope containing $5,000 in cash directly to the Clerk,” McShain wrote in Tuesday’s memo.
Prosecutors said it was Patel who accepted the cash.
…Adding… Mike Cabonargi, candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County…
The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County should be held to the highest ethical standards in order to foster access to justice. It should not be an office where Federal investigators spend years combing through allegations of corruption and lies, ultimately eroding the trust that should exist between the people of Cook County and the court system. It is time to usher in a new era of justice and credibility, and as a former Federal prosecutor, I’m the only candidate with a Reform Plan to do so.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:33 pm:
Bye Dorothy. Consider yourself very lucky and move along.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
Who woulda thought that the lying of co-conspirators is the “best” way to save the boss?
A win for gross incompetence and lying?
- Bertrum Cates - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:39 pm:
So the way to avoid being held accountable for doing blatantly unethical and illegal things is to do MORE blatantly unethical and illegal things because that prevents the government from building a case?
Unbelievable.
- Steve - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:47 pm:
- Bertrum Cates -
No one knows what the future holds but.. this is probably not the end of this story.
- Old news - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:50 pm:
Um I think Rich Miller shared this information awhile ago. I’m curious as to why they delayed Patel’s sentencing. Could she be flipping?
- independent - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:53 pm:
Not sure why they still cant charge her. Seems to me one has nothing to do with the other. They can use the same evidence against her that they used against those who have been charged. This story isnt over or some one is helping the Feds build other cases that are involved with this.
- anon - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 1:58 pm:
Independent - I suspect that to indict Brown would require testimony from the co-conspirators of Brown’s knowledge or involvement. However, the lies (including lies that falsely implicated Brown as a direct recipient of the cash) make it near impossible to call the co-conspirators as witnesses.
- Fav Human - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 2:00 pm:
” delayed Patel’s sentencing. Could she be flipping? ”
If she isn’t, she can expect a rather unpleasant time in front of a Federal Judge. They REALLY don’t like lying and obstructing justice.
Blago got a long sentence to send a message to others. Maybe she will also to encourage the multitudes involved with various corruption cases to come clean.
OR she is finally getting smart and spilling the beans to avoid the long jail time….
- Wow - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 2:13 pm:
She can’t flip!! She has been labeled a consistent liar by their own words. Impossible now to put her on the stand as a witness against the Clerk
- jim - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 2:20 pm:
Either tell the truth or take the Fifth — never lie to a grand jury.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 2:21 pm:
–Independent - I suspect that to indict Brown would require testimony from the co-conspirators of Brown’s knowledge or involvement. However, the lies (including lies that falsely implicated Brown as a direct recipient of the cash) make it near impossible to call the co-conspirators as witnesses.–
Right. They apparently can’t make the case without witness testimony, and the credibility of the key witnesses is shot. Defense lawyers would destroy them if they said A on the stand, and B before the grand jury.
- TominChicago - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 2:48 pm:
My guess is that the statute of limitations ran while the feds were sorting out the stories.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Nov 27, 19 @ 3:02 pm:
To Mike’s update: When I think “highest ethical standards” the Cook County property tax assessment system is not where I look.