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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
“It’s hard for me to swallow how [people] make so much off of you. Right? And I gotta do the work.”
That’s from the July 31, 2018 federal surveillance of now-former state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) complaining, according to media reports, to one of the founders of the red-light camera company SafeSpeed. Sandoval was bemoaning how he was killing and passing bills on the company’s behalf while watching other people make bank off the red-light cam industry.
This was, apparently, not new behavior for Sandoval. “I usually say, ‘What’s reasonable? You tell me,” Sandoval told the SafeSpeed official when discussing what his bribe would be. He was obviously practiced at shaking people down and ended up demanding $5,000 a month.
His plea deal claims he took $70,000 from the SafeSpeed official (the money was supplied by the government). Overall, though, Sandoval “accepted over $250,000 in bribes as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.”
Well, at least we now know how Sandoval could afford the expensive suits he always wore.
The feds may have had Sandoval under surveillance since at least August 16, 2017, when they apparently recorded a phone conversation with the SafeSpeed official about the company’s annual $10,000 campaign contribution.
The feds raided Sandoval’s Statehouse office two years later, in late September of 2019. They seized $3,000 in cash that day and another $18K a few weeks later.
Sandoval has agreed to cooperate in full, meaning all those folks he shook down, or who eagerly ponied up cash to get something done or who profited with him on villainous schemes probably haven’t been sleeping well.
He was the longtime chairman of the Transportation Committee, so it’s assumed Sandoval will be giving up road-building industry types. His federal search warrant mentioned several other types of companies and individuals, including video gaming and sweepstakes businesses.
His plea agreement notes that Sandoval “also engaged in corrupt activities with other public officials.” So, we can expect him to roll over on whoever those folks may be. I assume we can start with some of the local officials whose offices were raided right around the same time as Sandoval’s was searched.
Sandoval was a brazenly greedy bully who specialized in intimidating people who needed something from their government.
His annual golf fundraiser, which was a must-attend for anyone who needed something from him, had grown to lavish excess. And last August, the event wound up attracting unfavorable national news coverage when photos emerged of a server “shooting” someone wearing a Donald Trump mask with a tequila gun. It’s probably no surprise that some of the people who helped Sandoval run that gaudy fundraiser are also under federal scrutiny.
But maybe Sandoval can finally do some good for his state (and himself, by reducing his prison sentence) by helping weed out the people who prefer to take the short-cut of illegal cash rather than doing the real work usually required to get things done.
Also, here’s a little bit of unsolicited advice: If you’re a legislator or a local government official and you’re starting to become envious of the people around you who are making a lot of money, please quit your job right away. Go be a lobbyist or something. Or stop hanging out with rich people.
I’ve seen this happen over and over again and it never ends well. Save yourself the trouble and get out now. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to better one’s financial situation. But if you can’t do it honestly then you’re heading for disaster. You will be caught. Heck, you may already be caught and don’t even know it, like Sandoval was for two years.
Just go away.
And the leaders have to stop enabling these people. It was no big surprise when Sandoval was busted. Yet, Senate President John Cullerton routinely assigned red-light camera regulation bills to Sandoval’s committee knowing exactly what he would do with them, and also put Sandoval in charge of the massive infrastructure bill last year.
And House Speaker Michael Madigan created a new appropriations committee especially for now-former Rep. Luis Arroyo to oversee the capital plan’s formation. That’s like giving a gas can to a pyromaniac. Arroyo (D-Chicago) was arrested last year for bribery.
Yes, the people of their districts elected them, but the leaders do not have to continually enable their worst clowns.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 2:22 am
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The love of money is the root of all evil
Comment by Rabid Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 7:06 am
People often refer to the Illinois corruption tax resulting from pols favoring Donors. Now we know it’s for real. Sandavzl greased the legislation requiring shingle mix asphalt and IDOT reports our roads are failing faster due to the inferior manufacturing used in the material.
Comment by Sue Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 9:27 am
Let the head rolling begin. It will be interesting to see how far this really goes.
Comment by pool boy Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 9:31 am
“It was no big surprise when Sandoval was busted.”
If that’s the case, does the media also bear any culpability for not exposing what was apparently common knowledge? Are there others in government who it would be “no big surprise” if they got busted, and if so, what can we do about it?
Comment by Enabler Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 9:40 am
===does the media also bear any culpability for not exposing what was apparently common knowledge===
Such a thing can get you sued. Sure, it would expose the person to discovery, but that costs big money. Also, while rumors persisted of his venality, I don’t think anyone knew he was taking bigtime cash payoffs.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 9:44 am
This was one of Rich’s best column’s the last couple of years. There is an important question to be answered: exactly when did Mike Madigan and John Cullerton learn of Marty Sandoval’s corruption?
1) Recently, from the press accounts ?
2)Several years ago?
Unfortunately , the question may never get answered unless something comes up in court: which it might not.
Comment by Steve Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 9:46 am
Really well written story. I actually read it twice.
I get the comment on the press and hindsight is always 20/20.
It is easy to criticize what the press might have missed and, to a certain extent, can be unfair. I just think our press folks dropped the ball on the Sandoval adventures.
Certainly leadership people and fellow senators were asleep at the wheel. Surely the Illinois Senate had better choices than Sandoval to put in such a powerful position in the legislature.
Comment by Back to the Future Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 10:09 am
“He knew what went on at that cabstand.”
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 10:14 am
== Now we know it’s for real. ==
Anybody dealing with legislation or procurement the past 40+ years has known this.
Remember one time many years ago sitting on a procurement committee that we all knew was going to be politically sensitive with a local real estate heavyweight potentially involved. First thing I did was check all the bids to see who each company was partnered with. Turned out all the companies were partnered with the real estate person, so that made my job simple; we could completely ignore the politics and just evaluate the appropriateness of each bid.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 10:54 am
Great article Rich, spot on and ditto on your post about getting sued.
Three legislators, and there are more, who stood out to me as people who would enhance themselves financially by any means have been indicted, with 2 of them being found guilty. If in my time under the dome I came to have suspicions about people at the capitol I’m sure others felt the same way. Not saying I witnessed crimes just felt slimy after working with certain individuals. Waiting to see if my feelings were right, actually I hope I was wrong.
Comment by nadia Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 10:58 am
@Enabler: It’s the nature of most criminals to keep their criminal activities a secret. That’s why Stringer Bell was so mad about the guy taking notes on “a criminal ——— conspiracy” even though Robert’s Rules of Order says that organizations are supposed to take minutes.
Comment by Bourbon Street Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 11:24 am
Very well done article - especially the points made at the end.
Comment by BigDoggie Monday, Feb 3, 20 @ 12:00 pm