Lewandowski may be pleading guilty
Tuesday, Jan 5, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
A Worth Township trustee who’s printed political mailers for many top Democrats was hit with a federal tax charge Monday.
Richard Lewandowski, of Palos Heights, was charged in a one-count criminal information with failing to file an income tax return in 2018.
Defendants who are charged via an information, instead of a grand jury indictment, typically intend to plead guilty. No court date had been scheduled for Lewandowski as of Monday. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.
Lewandowski, who has served as a trustee in Worth Township since 2013, is closely allied with John O’Sullivan. He’s a former state representative and ally of House Speaker Michael Madigan who resigned as Worth Township supervisor last year amid the investigation involving red light camera company SafeSpeed.
* Food for thought…
- Centennial - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 9:48 am:
I assumed the opposite. That pleading guilty to a one off tax charge was a sign he was cooperating with the Feds.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 9:54 am:
Gonna be a lot of politicians/reporters in a hard way when the Madigan era ends.
- Gary Hart - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 9:56 am:
Michael J. Madigan’s operation forces members to use Lewandowski’s company. When will those who continue to blindly support Madigan recognize that everything he does benefits himself and his inner-circle? We’ll continue to hear that Madigan hasn’t been charged with a crime, but what about screwing his members over for the benefit of his inner-circle? How about the numerous schemes he uses for his own benefit? For his final act, he is willing to destroy the House of Representatives and this state for his overinflated ego. The 19 public “no’s” are the only sane thing left in the house.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:01 am:
I read it like Centennial did.
– MrJM
- Broom - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:02 am:
Any relation to Cory?
- MOON - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:30 am:
“Because of Madigan”
This idea that every time someone is indicted or under the Feds microscope it must relate in some way to Madigan is crazy.
- Halsey - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:33 am:
How do you forget or intentionally fail to file an income return in 2018 when you filed returns presumably in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, etc.? Has the “one-count criminal information” been filed?
- Donnie Elgin - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:45 am:
“Signs Signs
Everywhere there’s signs
***** up the scenery
Breaking my mind
Do this, don’t do that
Can’t you read the sign”
- I'mma stop you there.... - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:48 am:
“Michael J. Madigan’s operation forces members to use Lewandowski’s company.”
As a someone who has worked on a few campaigns with DPI, we were never forced to use Rich, only encouraged to because of his shops ability to get the orders out.
I had a local print shop one of my downstate candidates used screw up 2 mailers and miss a third order of door hangers. We switched to Breaker and never had an issue even on the rush jobs.
Only criticism are his prices. but you don’t care Gary. You’re just here to preach “because Madigan” in a comment section
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:53 am:
- Halsey - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 10:33 am:
He’s pleading guilty, which may mean he is avoiding other potential charges, which means we don’t know his income tax return status for those others. Unless he releases his tax returns or we hear more about it from the feds, we’ll just have to wait and see.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:12 pm:
== “Michael J. Madigan’s operation forces members to use Lewandowski’s company.”
As a someone who has worked on a few campaigns with DPI, we were never forced to use Rich, only encouraged to because of his shops ability to get the orders out. ==
I think we have seen plenty of examples of things that were considered ‘encouragement’ from Madigan entities not being interpreted as ‘optional’ by those who had those things suggested to them.
- thisjustinagain - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:22 pm:
“Encouraged to use Lewandowski’s company.” Sure. Like the Mafia “encouraged” local businesses to “voluntarily contribute” to the protection fund. Anyone believing otherwise should contact me; I have several bridges for sale. Lewandowski will sing loudly to avoid prison.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:27 pm:
=== Lewandowski will sing loudly to avoid prison.===
“The family has a lotta buffers”
It’s kinda (not in totality or in direct mirroring) like Roger Stanley? Maybe?
The preferred mail house, “this and that”, but in the cogs and the direct to things?
“We’ll see”
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:30 pm:
yep reads of cooperation. and with his financial ties to many people, via contracts, he has information.
- amalia - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 12:49 pm:
also what of reports that judges have received subpoenas?
- Thomas Paine - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:06 pm:
There are only a handful of union printers in Chicago that do campaign work. If you are a “regular” Democrat you use Breaker, if you are a challenger you use Mid-City.
You obviously do not want to use the same printer as your opponent, even if the printer pinky swears they will maintain confidentiality. Just like tv stations that share buy info, printers have an interest in telling your opponent you just dropped 10K pieces in the mail.
If you are a challenger, you don’t want to use the same mailhouse and printer as the Ward office or the county party either. Over time, those markets are going to migrate naturally, they might have had some help but you cannot really say for sure from campaign finance reports.
However if Breaker was paying finder fees under the table and the folks collecting them were not reporting the income, there will be some trouble. It is doubtful though that those fees were paid to Madigan.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 1:34 pm:
@Thomas Paine, isn’t Consolidated union? She was one of the first to go green.
- Southsider - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 2:41 pm:
Political printing is a funny business for sure. Pay upfront or credit it the Party guarantees payment. And then there is the postal side of things…gotta have the right printer. Too bad Rich blew a good thing…Breaker always delivered as promised.
- walker - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 3:13 pm:
We were never asked to use Breaker. Just sayin’
- SumGai1986 - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 3:34 pm:
“This idea that every time someone is indicted or under the Feds microscope it must relate in some way to Madigan is crazy.”
It’s the same prosecutor who is doing ComEd and SafeSpeed, bub. This birdie is about to sing.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 3:37 pm:
=== This birdie is about to sing.===
The family has a lotta buffers.
When McClain looks like he will take a deal, they might be getting closer.
Others should be worried? “Probably”
- SumGai1986 - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 4:18 pm:
You know how to eat an elephant, yes?
One bite at a time
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 4:22 pm:
They’re going the wrong way to eat the elephant, it seems.
A single count on taxes, seemingly to cut a deal and/or plea, lots of elephant to eat to get back to McClain?
Could be as simple as he didn’t cooperate with the feds, and it cost him?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 4:37 pm:
=== RICO===
If it’s “RICO”, then this past summer they shoulda had enough, even without McClain cooperating.
Emails and a wiretap… I don’t think Lewendowski is “Pentangeli”….
“We’ll see”
- Friendly Bob Adams - Tuesday, Jan 5, 21 @ 5:11 pm:
Enough of the Godfather quotes. Let’s get a bit more current.