* Tony Arnold…
As part of their sprawling public corruption probe, federal prosecutors in Chicago are now scrutinizing a 2012 email in which a powerful Illinois lobbyist lauded a state worker who “kept his mouth shut” about an unspecified “rape in Champaign,” WBEZ has learned.
The bombshell email was written by Michael McClain, a long-time confidant to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. McClain is now a central figure in the ongoing probe into utility Commonwealth Edison’s Springfield lobbying activities. WBEZ first reported on the email last month after obtaining it through an open-records request, prompting immediate calls for criminal investigations from elected officials.
In the 2012 email, McClain wrote to two aides for then-Gov. Pat Quinn to seek leniency for a state worker facing discipline. McClain praised the worker because he “kept his mouth shut on Jones’ ghost workers, the rape in Champaign and other items.” […]
It’s still unclear what McClain was referring to. WBEZ has not been able to verify the facts underlying his statements in the email, including whether a rape occurred, its alleged perpetrator or whether Forrest Ashby, the worker facing discipline, had actual knowledge of the crime, as McClain contended.
But a law enforcement source with knowledge of the federal investigation says the feds are interested in several aspects of the email, including the mention of the rape and the apparent reference to ghost payrollers. The source requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing criminal probe.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 10:24 am:
The more scrutiny this gets, the better.
- Ok - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 10:59 am:
I think it is more likely they are looking more at the ghost payroller portion of the email, given the other efforts of their investigation.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:02 am:
-Ok-
Agreed. Based on the info known to date, it seems more likely that if there is illegality related to that email, it is there.
- Anon E Moose - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:07 am:
reminder, rape is generally not a federal crime.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:19 am:
The grand irony of all this is that the tight-lipped, tech-adverse Madigan would invest such confidence in a loose-lipped, oversharing, emailing dude. SMH.
- Billy Sunday - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:20 am:
McClain in the previous video recording (interview in the restaurant) by WBEZ, he seemed passive and ‘uninterested’ in cooperating with this investigation; simply smirking. Really? He, along with the then-legislative director Hannig and then-CoS Stermer should be in the hot seat.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:22 am:
If the “rape in Champaign” is as possibly theorized, and a crime committed by an early release prisoner, that particular instance was charged and the offender was convicted. If that’s the case this would be a coverup of the circumstances to avoid political embarrassment and not necessarily a crime.
- Steve - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:27 am:
When this story first broke, I commented here on the ghost payrollers aspect of the story. It appears the feds are interested in this.
- Bud's Bar Stool - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 11:27 am:
=== reminder, rape is generally not a federal crime ===
What about extortion or attempted extortion of a public official (i.e. writing to the governor’s office to remind them that you have information, not yet public, that would be politically damaging, and that they would be well advised to take your direction), not to mention ghost payrolling?
- Ed Equity - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 12:51 pm:
I find it hard to believe he would write an email that would be available upon a FOIA request and not think through its implications on strategic grounds. It may be that the media is being played here when daylight finally shines on what happened.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 12:53 pm:
===I find it hard to believe he would write an email that would be available upon a FOIA request and not think through its implications on strategic grounds===
That’s possible. If he didn’t get what he wanted, he could eventually tip a reporter to FOIA certain trigger words.
But the man over-shared on so many things.
- Senator Clay Davis - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 1:28 pm:
There’s no news in this story. The email was already exposed. All this story says is that the feds are “now scrutinizing” that email.
- Ed Equity - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 1:44 pm:
Rich, he thought about longer term strategy than most people who have ever participated in Illinois policy making. No question there was over-sharing to those in trusted circles for whom information was never meant to be released, but as for the FOIA-able sharing, we’ll see whether it was over-sharing or not. Time will tell.
- thechampaignlife - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 2:26 pm:
===I find it hard to believe he would write an email that would be available upon a FOIA request and not think through its implications on strategic grounds===
You would be surprised how many people commit to email embarrassing, unethical, and/or illegal activity. If he was doing it for strategic reasons, he would have made himself look better. Dude just got sloppy and wrote it down instead of calling or speaking in person.
- Latina - Monday, Feb 10, 20 @ 7:06 pm:
-thechampaignlife-I agree he got old and sloppy and I wonder if the rapist Thompson is “someone’s relative “??