…Adding… The indictment is here. [Fixed link.]
* Oh, man…
…Adding… The Sun-Times story adds some context…
Five years ago, Weiss got married to former state Rep. Toni Berrios, whose father ran the Cook Democratic Party while serving as Cook County assessor ruling on property tax appeals filed by clout-heavy lawyers, including Madigan and Ald. Edward M. Burke.
The former assessor is also a lobbyist in Springfield, who clients have included the Illinois Gaming Machine Operators who oppose efforts to legalize sweepstakes machines, like those owned by Weiss.
Weiss is a close friend of Madigan’s only son, Andrew, an executive at Alliant/Mesirow Insurance Services which sells insurance to various government agencies.
Weiss and his mother, Mary C. Murray, have run two Bridgeport-based charities aided by powerful political allies such as Cook County Commissioner John Daley and his nephew Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson (11th). One of the charities, the Benton House, is a former settlement house operating an emergency food pantry on South Gratten, and the other is a scholarship fund.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:01 pm:
Not surprised to content, never take the money… the timing in October is interesting.
Public corruption indictments “usually” go dark around this time…
- Birds on the Bat - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:03 pm:
Illinois democrats…the gift that keeps on giving.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:04 pm:
Weiss has lots of connections …
Weiss runs the Alliance of Illinois Taxpayers, which raises several thousand dollars from several personal injury law firms connected with Madigan.
- Powdered Whig - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:05 pm:
=== Illinois democrats…the gift that keeps on giving. ===
I think Weiss is a big Trump supporter. Just saying.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:06 pm:
=== Illinois democrats…the gift that keeps on giving.===
… and yet Trumpkins have the worst numbers in the Illinois House, worst in Illinois Senate, the lowest number congressional seats, no US Senators, no statewide offices…
Maybe you don’t know how gifts work?
- John Lee Pettimore - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:08 pm:
Everyone knows you don’t mail the money
- Hippopotamus - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:10 pm:
OW - Don’t you know, Illinoisans are low information voters.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:10 pm:
=== don’t mail the money===
Worse. They mailed a check.
Keystone Cops
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:13 pm:
=== Illinoisans are low information voters===
I dunno if anyone wants to claim Trumpkins are all that bright, but we all digress.
To the post,
If this is part of wrapping up Link’s part, how many more moving parts to Link can be put to bed in campaign season?
- Keyrock - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:14 pm:
Nice work by the G.
Nice Sun-Times story, too.
- Oldtimer - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:27 pm:
Tony Rezko indicted October 11, 2006.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:30 pm:
An insurance company employing son of Speaker that sells insurance to government agencies. How Illinois can you be. Not everyone can be a lawyer. Does the insurance company at least have a George Dunne restaurant
- Rudy’s teeth - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:31 pm:
Jimmy, you never mail a bribe. Put the money in a box of cannoli and hand deliver the goods. What a maroon.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:35 pm:
You don’t try to bribe the minority party. They have nothing to offer. They have little ability to shape major policy. For example, this week in Indiana a GOP state senator was indicted for a campaign fraud scheme with a gaming executive. The gaming executive worked for a company that got the GOP governor of Indiana under an ethics investigation for $50,000 in private jet flights. You try to bribe the people in best position to influence policy. That’s not the super minority caucus. It’s not a D or R issue, it’s a bad public officials issue.
- walker - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:53 pm:
Wow. That’s old-school Bridgeport shenanigans.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:54 pm:
Mailing a bribe…wire fraud is one of the easiest convictions for these things…
- Danny Burnham - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 3:56 pm:
this statement from the CTPF president about Madigan and CTU as part of their formal minutes seems to have flown entirely under the radar:
https://www.ctpf.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/august_20_2020_minutes.pdf
- Back to the Future - Friday, Oct 2, 20 @ 4:25 pm:
Thanks a Danny Burnham
That was quite a read.
I remember when the CTPF was well funded. You would think CTU would be more interested in the way their pension fund is run.