* Yesterday…
* Another legislator pulled in?…
The federal search warrant used at the Lyons village hall also showed the FBI’s interest in the Lyons Township Democratic Organization. The group’s leader is Steve Landek, who’s also the mayor of Bridgeview and a state senator. He did not return calls seeking comment.
…Adding… Tribune…
Meanwhile, Landek, chairman of the Democratic Organization of Lyons Township and also the mayor of Bridgeview, said Wednesday that federal authorities have not contacted him in his capacity as a legislator, mayor or local party leader.
* The Sun-Times took a look at the unredacted Lyons and McCook search warrants and compared them to the Sen. Martin Sandoval search warrant. This is only a tiny taste of the full story, so go read the whole thing…
The Lyons records, released Tuesday night, mention Buckle Down Brewery, the Drake Oak Brook Resort and the Democratic Organization of Lyons Township.
Getty is listed as the agent for The Drake Oak Brook Resort LLC, according to Illinois Secretary of State records. He also holds annual fundraisers at the resort. […]
The Sandoval and McCook records also mention Bill Helm, who until recently was a high-ranking Chicago Department of Aviation official at the center of a lawsuit accusing him and other officials of injecting politics into the workplace at O’Hare Airport.
The Lyons and Sandoval records mention John Harris, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s convicted one-time chief of staff, as well as the politically connected red-light camera company SafeSpeed, LLC. They also mention asphalt magnate Michael Vondra.
Documents in McCook and Lyons mention Presidio Capital, whose “principal office” appears to be a postal box at a Hinsdale UPS store. It’s a development company run by Burr Ridge resident Omar Maani that’s built affordable housing in Cicero and Summit using taxpayer money funneled through the county government.
Maani is a SafeSpeed investor. The Sun-Times has twice reported on rumors that he is cooperating with the feds.
* I wondered the same thing last week when I was looking into Krneta. Turns out, you can ask Google Maps to blur the image of your house…
* More on Krneta…
Among Krneta’s recent jobs was the 2018 renovation of the Alta Grill restaurant inside the McCook Athletic & Exposition Center facility, also known as The Max, records show.
Over the past decade, Krneta has donated tens of thousands of dollars to local politicians including Tobolski, Getty and state Senate President John Cullerton, campaign records show.
Krneta was convicted earlier this year of misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident at Tobolski’s August 2018 golf outing and fundraiser at the Gleneagles Country Club in Lemont, Cook County court records show.
A former manager at the Alta Grill accused Krneta of fondling her from behind and attempting to take her phone out of her back pocket, according to the court records. When she protested, Krneta allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat at the event and said, “I’m untouchable. I always get what I want,” the records show.
Quite the guy.
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* Mark Brown…
A search warrant of [Sen. Martin Sandoval’s] Springfield office made public Friday shows federal investigators appear to be looking into at least 10 distinct alleged schemes involving the newly resigned chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
Red-light cameras, video gambling, road contracts, family businesses, real estate developments and the state’s largest public utility are all caught up in some way in Sandoval’s suspected mischief.
Not to mention several local governments, a member of the tollway board, IDOT, a trucking company, a “Countryside cigar lounge” and a body shop…
Also named in the warrant were Sebastian Jachymiak and Technicraft Collision Repair Experts, a body shop in Justice. Jachymiak, who is one of the managers of the company, according to a filing with the Secretary of State’s office, did not return a call to Technicraft seeking comment.
Technicraft has contributed more than $100,000 to political candidates and organizations since 2007, including Getty, who received $12,900, according to state Board of Elections records. Technicraft has also contributed $14,525 to Tobolski and $3,600 to Sandoval.
The body shop’s website is here.
* Back to Brown…
For Sandoval, the most troubling name on the search warrant may be Monarca Inc. That’s a company listing his wife Marina as the president.
I don’t know what Mrs. Sandoval’s company does, or how it might be mixed up in this. This is the first we’d heard of it.
But I can tell you when politicians put their family members in harm’s way through their own monkey business, federal authorities have a pressure point that can result in submission faster than any mixed martial arts hold.
Yep.
Boom.
* Rick Heidner isn’t the only video gaming exec named in the search warrant…
Mentioned with Heidner is Joe Elias, who runs about a dozen video gambling parlors around the state, all carrying Heidner’s gambling machines. Elias could not be reached for comment.
* I told you about this last week…
There is also a reference in the warrant to specific legislation, House Bill 173.
A measure from 2017 with the same bill number would have outlawed red-light cameras. The legislation passed the House overwhelmingly, but stalled in the Senate, at one point showing up in the Sandoval-led Senate Transportation Committee.
The bill is here.
…Adding… More on the bill history…
It was sent to the Senate Executive Committee and relegated to a subcommittee chaired by state Sen. Antonio Munoz, D-Chicago, a long-time ally of Sandoval’s and fellow member of the Hispanic Democratic Organization.
The Senate sponsors, after seeing the bill put into a subcommittee and not voted on, tried to amend the bill into a study “evaluating automated traffic law enforcement systems in this (s)tate.”
After being sent back to the catch-all Assignments Committee, the bill then was sent to the Transportation Committee, which was chaired by Sandoval, on May 13, 2016.
On May 24, 2016, Sandoval directed the amended bill to the Subcommittee on Special Issues, which had no members.
* Daily Herald…
Just months after joining the Illinois tollway, Director Cesar Santoy resigned Friday after his name surfaced in an FBI investigation involving Sen. Martin Sandoval, the chairman of the state Senate Transportation Committee. […]
Santoy, an architect and Berwyn alderman, was appointed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February amid an ethics reform push at the agency. The previous board was ousted by the General Assembly in January following Daily Herald reports of nepotism and patronage involving contracts and hiring. […]
In addition, investigators sought items related to Behnke Materials Engineering and to Michael Vondra and his company Bluff City Materials. Both businesses are tollway subcontractors.
Tollway officials said the agency “has not received a subpoena for any records related to this investigation. We use a competitive bid process for construction contracts and bid results are reported on the tollway’s website as part of our commitment to transparency.”
* And, of course, there’s this…
As we’ve discussed before, “CW” is often fed-speak for “Cooperating Witness.” The redacted McCook search warrant listed a “CW1″ and a “CW2.”
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* I went over this topic with subscribers earlier this morning. Turns out, the Sun-Times also had much the same information…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants the Illinois General Assembly to reduce the effective tax rate on a Chicago casino to 45 percent, have the city and state “own the license” and authorize a graduated transfer tax that would apply to commercial real estate sales.
The mayor floated those plans during a private meeting over the weekend with members of the Chicago delegation. […]
“The casino [plan] proposed to have the city and the state own the license and the casino be operated by a private vendor. That’s a difference. We’ll have to see how people feel about that issue. I can’t predict how people will react,” [Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago)] said Monday. […]
Lightfoot’s decision to take on the concept of city and state ownership — amid a burgeoning corruption scandal that has spread from Chicago and the south suburbs to Springfield — comes as a bit of a surprise. Many expected her to keep a complicated subject simple and confine her request to the tax structure.
*** UPDATE *** Greg Hinz…
Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, is the chief sponsor of the bill approved in the spring that authorized new casinos in Chicago and other locations. He told me he potentially could vote for Lightfoot’s plan, but doubts most of his colleagues or Pritzker will go along.
“This idea is not new. This was floated in the spring. The governor was adamantly opposed,” Link said. “He told me that he did not want city ownership in any regard.” Asked if the votes are there to win approval in the fall veto session that begins Oct. 28, Link replied, “I don’t think so. I don’t think a single Republican would vote for that.”
I tried to reach Link yesterday, but was unsuccessful. Drat.
* From the governor’s office…
After the casino feasibility study was released in mid-August, the Governor was willing to give the new city administration time to develop alternative proposals for the Chicago casino. We understand that a number of lawmakers now have been briefed on these proposals, and we look forward to reviewing them after we are briefed on the details of the proposals. The Governor remains open to a number of approaches for making the Chicago casino successful, but with regard to public ownership, our administration would need to ensure that the challenges of public ownership are fully understood and addressed.
* Back to Greg…
That [”after we are briefed on the details of the proposals”] remark points to another unusual aspect of Team Lightfoot’s handling of this matter. In normal Springfield etiquette, mayors brief all the major players, including the governor, before walking back-bench lawmakers through a proposal. In Lightfoot’s case, she briefed Chicago lawmakers and, separately, Senate President John Cullerton but not Pritzker, though I’m told the mayor has had some preliminary conversations with the governor.
Yep. There’s definitely tension between the two offices.
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* ABC 7…
Just days before Chicago Public Schools teachers could walk off the job, a new ABC7/Chicago Sun-Times poll shows nearly half of the people surveyed support a strike.
The survey found 49% of voters either strongly or somewhat support a walkout, while 38% are opposed. […]
“Most people don’t want strikes in general,” said ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington, “The union has done a very good job in making their case. They’ve got a number of other public unions that are supporting them.”
* Sun-Times…
The survey was done Friday and Saturday with automated telephone interviews of 618 Chicago voters.
The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points, offers a lens into the public relations war that has been waged in recent weeks by the city and Chicago Teachers Union to win the hearts and minds of city taxpayers and CPS parents. Winning public support is paramount as negotiations come to a head and pressure mounts on the two sides to work out an agreement. […]
CPS parents, who made up a quarter of the voters polled, were more likely to support a strike – and to blame Lightfoot for the ordeal. More than half supported a strike and nearly one in five parents placed responsibility personally on the mayor. […]
The freshman mayor’s approval rating stands at 54%, with 15% expressing disapproval. Almost a third of voters say they’re not sure what to think of Lightfoot’s performance. […]
A few months before the 2012 teachers’ strike, Emanuel’s job approval rating stood at 52% with 29% disapproving, according to a Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll.
…Adding… Some commenters have asked about support for the 2012 CTU strike. This poll was taken after the teachers walked out…
Conducted by We Ask America, the poll of 1,344 voting Chicago households asked, “In general, do you approve or disapprove of the Chicago Teachers Union’s decision to go on strike?” 55.5 percent said they approved and 40 percent disapproved. Another 4 percent had no opinion. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percent,” according to Rich Miller, the report’s publisher.
From that day’s Capitol Fax…
Asked who they thought was “most to blame” for the strike, just over 34 percent pointed their finger at Mayor Rahm Emanuel, while 29 percent blamed the Chicago Teachers Union and 19 percent blamed the school board. In other words, a solid majority blames management, one way or the other.
Whites blamed the union more than the full sample, at 41 percent. People without school-age children blamed the union a bit more than the full sample, 31 percent. And 39 percent of those with children in private schools blamed the union.
But almost a majority, 48 percent, of Latinos blamed Mayor Emanuel, as did 33 percent of African-Americans, 42 percent of parents of public school children and 40 percent of parents of school-age children. All age brackets except those aged 55-64 blamed Emanuel the most, with 50 percent of 18-24 year olds pointing their finger at hizzoner, as well as 41 percent of 35-44 year olds.
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* From the Secretary of State’s Index Division…
Santoy’s name and company are listed in the federal search warrant of Sen. Martin Sandoval’s Statehouse office. Santoy’s attorney claimed his client is not a target. The governor called on Santoy to step aside earlier today.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Pritzker administration…
Cesar Santoy has agreed to step down. His appointment has not been confirmed by the Senate, so our administration has withdrawn the appointment.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Hmm. Well, this is interesting. Santoy’s campaign committee has received $4,250 in two contributions from Sen. Martin Sandoval.
Also, there’s this…
Six intersections will be studied and additional red-light cameras are on the way for Berwyn after the City Council approved the contract with SafeSpeed, LLC Tuesday.
The discussion became heated at times as Third Ward Alderman Marge Paul initiated the conversation, discussing the tie of Michael Del Galdo to SafeSpeed. Del Galdo, a Berwyn attorney, had done work for the city earlier this year. […]
Fifth Ward Alderman Cesar Santoy voted to approve the contract after reading the submission from Deputy Police Chief Joseph Drury earlier this month.
“I was impressed he did some research and was able to find an alternative to save the city some money and increase the revenue, and at the end of the day improve public safety,” Santoy said.
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* From Evelyn Sanguinetti via a campaign spokesperson…
It is with deep regret that I must announce that I have officially decided to end my campaign for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Congress for the 6th Congressional District of Illinois. I want to thank everyone that supported me through volunteering, financial contributions, and words of encouragement and support. I am sorry if this announcement lets you down.
Although I firmly believe that I can and will win the nomination if I stayed in the race, the question in my mind is at what cost. There has been enough destruction in the Republican Party from past election cycles, and I choose not to contribute further to it by engaging in a costly and negative campaign against my opponents. I wish the remaining candidates all the best, and I encourage all Republicans to unite behind the eventual nominee for the good of the Party and more importantly the Nation as we continue the fight to stop socialism and to protect the American Dream for future generations.
That pretty much clears the deck for Jeanne Ives, who reported raising $340,298.13 during her first quarter in the race.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Greg Hinz…
A source who would know tells me she raised only about $50,000 in the third quarter—a paltry figure by any measure, and certainly well under the $340,000 Ives garnered.
Yeesh.
*** UPDATE 1 *** DCCC…
DCCC spokesperson Andy Orellana released the following statement after NRCC touted recruit Evelyn Sanguinetti announced she was dropping out of the Republican primary in Illinois 6th Congressional District:
“Today’s announcement that Evelyn Sanguinetti will be dropping out of the Republican primary in Illinois’s 6th Congressional District underscores just how toxic the Trump agenda is in communities across the country. While firebrand conservative Jeanne Ives campaigns on her promise to be a rubber stamp for the Trump agenda of sowing division between neighbors, higher taxes for homeowners, and skyrocketing health care costs for families, Sean Casten is focused on delivering for Illinois families.”
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* A commenter mentioned this earlier and I checked with the Senate Democrats a few times and haven’t yet heard back. Here’s Hannah…
However, Sen. Tom Cullerton, who was indicted on over 40 federal counts, still has his chairmanship, according to the ILGA website.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From John Patterson with the Senate Democrats: “We received a resignation letter from Sen. Sandoval” regarding the chairmanship.
I’ll post that when I get it.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Here’s the letter dated today…
 >
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* You’ll recall that the original release of the federal search warrant served on Sen. Martin Sandoval’s (D-Chicago) Statehouse office was heavily redacted. This version isn’t.
A lawsuit was filed by WBEZ to force the release of an unredacted search warrant. I’m told the Senate Democrats have been in contact with the feds since names and locations in the warrant have appeared in public about ongoing investigations, including some folks who were raided a couple of days after Sandoval and Exelon’s disclosure this week that it had received a federal grand jury subpoena related to Sandoval.
* Anyway, click here to read it…
Yikes.
*** UPDATE 1 *** So, apparently, this dragnet includes a video gaming company. From Gold Rush Gaming’s website…
For over 40 years, Rick and Alisa Heidner have served the Chicago-land area as experienced and proven business owners. Their first endeavor together was Heidner Properties, a commercial real estate development group that owns and self-manages over 200 properties across the country. After the successful launch of the real estate firm, they began focusing on their new dream involving slots and video poker. In 2012 Gold Rush Gaming was founded and quickly became the Gold Standard in the Illinois video gaming industry. Gold Rush believes in the values of honesty and integrity, both of which are embodied by Rick and Alisa.
*** UPDATE 2 *** You may recognize John Harris’ name. He is Rod Blagojevich’s former chief of staff who now works for Mike Vondra. Tammie Zumwalt is Sen. Sandoval’s legislative assistant in Springfield and is also Sandoval’s campaign treasurer.
Also, four Exelon officials? Woof.
*** UPDATE 3 *** I think the reference above to HB 173 is actually a bill from the 99th General Assembly sponsored by Rep. David McSweeney to ban red light cameras. The measure passed the House but stalled out in the Senate.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Rick Heidner isn’t just involved in video gaming, he’s trying to own a new racino…
A new horse racing track and casino proposed for Tinley Park has made it out of the starting gate. […]
The southwest suburban harness racing venture is headed by Hawthorne Race Course general manager Tim Carey and real estate developer Rick Heidner, who also runs one of the state’s largest video gambling machine companies.
Also, if it’s the same Cesar Santoy, he’s a Berwyn alderman and an architect.
Sebastian Jachymiak owns a towing company and the Technicraft Collision Repair listed in the warrant. Technicraft has contributed over $100,000 to various candidates, many of whom have been raided or otherwise connected to this.
Sergio Rodriguez is the mayor of Summit.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Cesar Santoy was appointed by Gov. Pritzker to the Illinois Toll Highway Authority in February.
The governor’s people say they’ll be issuing a statement about this.
*** UPDATE 6 *** Sebastian Jachymiak appears to be very politically connected, and at one time, at least, had ties to Speaker Madigan. Click here for some 2010 background.
*** UPDATE 7 *** Under the bus he goes…
*** UPDATE 8 *** John Kosmowski is the Summit police chief. Safespeed operates Summit’s red light cams.
Vahooman “Shadow” Mirkhaef owns Cub Terminal LLC. His companies, including Cub Terminal, have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to political campaigns, with Sandoval being a beneficiary.
And here’s some info on Bill Helm…
Their federal lawsuit charges Deputy Airport Commissioner Bill Helm is the enforcer, pushing employees to do political work, often on city time, with backup from Airport Manager Kevin Martin.
*** UPDATE 9 *** If you notice on the “receipt” page, you’ll see documents were seized from the Burke Burns law firm. Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) is a partner at that firm. I’ve asked Harmon for comment and will let you know what he says.
Kristi Bloom is listed on LinkedIn as the Executive Admin., Operations for one of Vondra’s companies, Bluff City Materials. I’m told she also helps run Sandoval’s annual golf outing.
*** UPDATE 10 *** The feds also seized documents referencing Marina Sandoval. Marina is Sen. Sandoval’s spouse.
*** UPDATE 11 *** From Sen. Don Harmon…
I have absolutely no idea to what that refers, and I’d be happy to talk to you again if something comes to light.
This is a bit weird because Sandoval is an avowed Harmon enemy.
*** UPDATE 12 *** More on Burke Burns…
*** UPDATE 13 *** I probably should’ve mentioned earlier that I wrote a column on Mike Vondra and his companies. Click here to refresh your memory.
*** UPDATE 14 *** Brian Lansu is an attorney for a Mike Vondra company named Reliable Materials and is also in-house counsel for Buona Beef. His law license was suspended for five months in 2009.
*** UPDATE 15 *** Tribune…
[Illinois Toll Highway Commissioner Cesar] Santoy’s attorney, Brendan Shiller, said in a statement to the Tribune that he’s “been informed that neither Cesar nor Studio Arq is a target” of the probe.
“The government wanted some records and they were provided,” Shiller said.
*** UPDATE 16 *** Sun-Times…
When reached by phone by the Chicago Sun-Times, [Rick Heidner] said he had not yet learned his name appeared on the document. He said no one had contacted him about it, and he said he had “zero clue” why his name would be there.
“Maybe it’s because, you know, I donate money politically and charitably,” Heidner said. “But I have no clue why my name would be on it at all.”
*** UPDATE 17 *** Good info from WBEZ…
Records obtained by WBEZ show Sandoval’s private company, Puentes, Inc., is paid $4,200 a month by the Town of Cicero and $2,000 a month by the North Berwyn Park District, both of which lie in Sandoval’s legislative district that straddles Chicago and southwest suburbs.
The FBI reported taking “invoices and correspondence with [Monarca], agreements between [Monarca] + other entities” in addition to “documents ref. Monarca Inc. and Marina Sandoval.” […]
The feds sought information about a litany of Vondra-related business ventures and a foundation set up by Vondra and his wife, Dorothy. Also included was a request for records related to a west suburban golf course, Klein Creek Golf Club, where Sandoval has hosted numerous campaign fundraising events. […]
Also named in the search warrant was Jeff Tobolski, the Democratic Cook County commissioner and mayor of McCook. Tobolski’s office at the McCook village hall was the target of another FBI raid, two days after the search warrants were served at Sandoval’s offices.
*** UPDATE 18 *** You’ll notice that on the receipt list of item seized is this: “Flash drive with Landek written on it.”
There is a theory developing that Sandoval was creating opposition research files on both Sen. Don Harmon and Sen. Steve Landek. As mentioned above, Sandoval despises Harmon and he may have been plotting to back a certain someone against Landek in a Democratic primary. Again, it’s just a theory so far, but it would fit the Sandoval profile. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 19 *** ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider…
The unredacted warrant provides another glimpse into the vast network of background players involved in the corrupt Chicago Democrat machine that runs this state. From another close Madigan ally to Pritzker’s Tollway appointee, there is virtually no level of state and local government in Cook County that is not teeming with self dealing Democrats looking to screw over taxpayers. The Illinois Democratic Party is a crime ring masquerading as a political party.
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