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* As Carol Marin reports today, Chicago police officer Joseph A. Grillo was arrested by the FBI as he got off a plane from Las Vegas. Grillo was arrested and charged with mail fraud “in connection with an alleged towing scam.” Marin continues…
But the odd part of this June 5 arrest was what an FBI agent was overheard saying to Grillo as he was being led away.
According to a source who has every reason to know, the agent reportedly advised Grillo with words to this effect: “Give Ald. Banks up, and it will go a long way to helping you out.”
* The other side…
Ald. William J.P. Banks is one of the most powerful members of City Council. For almost 20 years, he has chaired the mighty Committee on Zoning, where very big decisions get made on very pricey developments. […]
The alderman is not charged with anything. But people who know him tell me he is fed up and furious with what he considers “guilt by association” questions coming at him lately thanks to a growing number of federal indictments of people with connections to his ward and to his family.
Last month, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald unveiled the second phase of Operation Crooked Code. An undercover mole, working as a bagman and wearing a wire, had been busy in the Zoning and Building departments, passing bribes from developers to city inspectors. Fifteen people were arrested, many of whom had deep connections to Banks and the 36th Ward Democratic Organization.
The most interesting guy picked up in that May sweep was the coolest of customers even when dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit. His name is Beny Garneata, a sleek-looking, silver-haired fortysomething developer from Lincolnwood. Like Joseph Grillo at O’Hare, Garneata got the full court federal press for his arrest, a less than subtle way of hammering him to start talking early and often.
When the G wants you, they do everything they can to get you. That doesn’t mean they do get you, but they have a whole lot of means at their disposal.
* Meanwhile, a commenter pointed out earlier this morning the goofiness behind this allegation of “pinstripe patronage” against Todd Stroger…
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger used a rare tie breaking vote to squeak a multi-million dollar deal through the county board. Turns out the firm [Chapman and Cutler] that drafted the deal has extensive ties to Stroger and his political organization. […]
In the last three years, the firm has given more than $35,000 to either Stroger, or the 8th ward. Commissioner Forrest Claypool, a Stroger critic says the deal is pinstripe-patronage.
Writes “wordslinger“…
Chapman and Cutler is one of the biggest and most respected bond counsel firms in the country. They actually do the work, as opposed to the many hangers-on who get a taste in public finance issues.
Believe me, there’s a lot of pay to play in muni finance, but they’re not the problem. Check out co-bond counsel, advisors and the lineup of bond firms for the pinstripe patronage. Also, there’s no reason any but the most complex bond issues needs to be a “negotiated” deal — put it out to bid to get rid of the pinstripe patronage.
Claypool knows this. Somebody should tell him you lose whatever “reform” credibility you might have when you knowingly make silly remarks.
* And this is pretty interesting…
Lake County [Indian] election officials heard allegations Tuesday a number of Illinois residents attempted to vote in last month’s Indiana primary election.
Raymond Lopez, chairman of the East Chicago and Whiting Republican organization, told the Lake County elections board, busloads of Illinois residents and downstate Indiana students who weren’t registered to vote in East Chicago or Whiting appeared at those communities’ polls, according to Republican election workers to whom he spoke.
“It was quite a few. They showed us Illinois driver’s licenses. We asked them why they were here and they said ‘We were told to vote here.’”
Lopez said none of them was admitted into voting booths. He didn’t indicate whether he was able to ascertain from where the individuals came or whom may have sent them. Elections Supervisor Michelle Fajman asked Lopez to put his complaints and others he made, in writing, so her staff can investigate.
Amazing that they didn’t ask Lopez who was allegedly busing these people into Lake County. You’d think that would be an important question.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 9:57 am
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Yes, I have to admit it seems Claypool was really grasping at straws for a press moment on that one. There’s no question they’re qualified to do the work, so what’s the problem with it?
Comment by Snidely Whiplash Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 10:33 am
Vote fraud by Illinois Democrats?
Tell me it isn’t true.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 10:54 am
Rich, do you now finally understand why checking IDs at the voting booth is a necessary thing?
Comment by Crimefighter Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 11:04 am
More importantly, fraud prevented by use of a Photo ID.
I am not sure why I would expect a poll watcher to know WHO bussed them in. The fact that is was a KEY election for someone named “O” who needed it to be close surely wasn’t a motivating factor to whomever did it……
Comment by Pat Collins Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 11:05 am
Crimefighter, their names were obviously not on the voter list. So, no, I am not convinced. Plus, I’m not sure if there is truth to the story yet.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 11:20 am
I think that Rep. Fritchey should immediately call on Governor Blagojevich to amendatorily veto HB1 to include language that would prohibit members of the general assembly to lobby family members, and extended family members, on zoning issues in the city of chicago, or cook county. This would insulate him from the inevitable criticism coming his way for his lobbying work on zoning issues with his father-in-law, Zoning Committee Chairman Alderman Bill Banks.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 11:36 am
Interesting, albeit not surprising, tidbits about Banks. He’s your prototypical city council rubber stamp, but is much more dangerous since he chairs the zoning committee. With all of the sludge uncovered recently in the city buildings and zoning departments, he’s definitely feeling the heat.
Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 11:47 am
Anon, Bill Banks is not Fritchey’s father-in-law. Sam Banks is.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 12:01 pm
Oh, please, is anyone on this blog really so gullible? A Republican operative claims that there were “quite a few” attempted bad votes, and this gets reported uncritically? The GOP has been pursuing this voting fraud scam for years as a proxy for keeping ethnic minorities out of the polls. At minimum, this guy should be grilled on exactly how many, what were the names on those drivers’ licenses he supposedly saw, who else was there to witness it, why did no one call the police, what records were kept, who did they tell, etc.
Surely, if there was anything more than a couple of deluded idiots from the south suburbs, there would be some data, some piece of evidence to correlate the claims. Otherwise, Rich, you’re being used as a stooge to transmit racist GOP lies about voting fraud.
Comment by Thomas Westgard Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 12:07 pm
The Ald. Banks stuff, on the other hand, there’s a lot of data openly visible to make the rest of it credible. If it looks like a sewer of corruption, smells like a sewer of corruption, and has “Ald. Banks” written on the door, it’s probably a sewer of corrupt people that need to be in prison as soon as possible.
Comment by Thomas Westgard Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 12:10 pm
my mistake, but the language could be the same. Ald. Banks is the brother of rep. fritchey’s father in law. there is the possibility for the appearance of impropriety.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 12:14 pm
===there is the possibility for the appearance of impropriety.===
Wow. Call out the National Guard.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 12:24 pm
“Possibility for the appearance of impropriety.” I love it. Now we need to legislate against possible appearances. I’m also concerned about hypothetical theoretical inklings of wrongdoing by still unborn children of lobbyists. We need a new law.
Comment by 2for2 Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 1:22 pm
Agreed.
This push-back from the governor’s office against Fritchey is reprehensible and particularly hypocritical…
The number of active, ongoing federal investigations of Gov. Blagojevich’s administration and campaign: 9 known.
The number of active, ongoing federal investigations of Rep. John Fritchey and his campaign: 0 known.
Clearly, we need to pass a new state law to stop Fritchey’s reign of terror.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 1:30 pm
Just saw your comments, TW. I linked a story from a legit news source, and questioned its accuracy. Your opinion is your own, but, please, bite me.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 1:34 pm
I guess you feel bitten already, so I’ll decline to go again. Maybe you feel it’s helpful to find and point out this kind of early signal? I suppose there’s a use for that. What I note is that you give the scurrilous lies a five-paragraph run, and follow them with a pretty gentle chiding. As they say, all press is good press, and the GOP operatives that came up with this scam will surely be pleased to see their lies repeated in the context you provide.
Comment by Thomas Westgard Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 1:42 pm
Yes, because you think it is so then it MUST ever be so. We must all bow humbly before your presence because your suspicions must be treated as fact.
Again, bite me.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 1:55 pm
I did a quick look up under the name Beny Garneata and I see that He game Alderman Flores from the 1st Ward $3000, so this Mr Garneata must be a reformer.
Garneata, Beny
Occupation: Good Faith Effort
Employer: Good Faith Effort $1,500.00
5/1/2003 Individual Contribution
Friends for Flores
Garneata, Beny
6043 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60646
Occupation: Good Faith Effort
Employer: Good Faith Effort $1,500.00
6/26/2003 Individual Contribution
Friends for Flores
Comment by Sunshine Boy Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 2:49 pm
Rich Miller wrote, “Amazing that they didn’t ask Lopez who was allegedly busing these people into Lake County. You’d think that would be an important question.”
I too agree that would be an excellent question.
Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 3:01 pm
This particular pinstripe patronage issue raised by Claypool seems bogus. Law firms make contributions to campaigns routinely and are awarded similar opportunites or other legal business as a matter of course. As long as the fees are competitive and a firm is qulaified to do the work, there is no salient issue.
Comment by Captain America Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 5:17 pm
Sunshine peaked my interest in the disclosures so I did a search under the address that Mr Garneata has listed 6043 N. Milwaukee and they have contributions listed from a company called M5 Electrical Contractors Inc.6043 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60646, they have made additional contributions to Alderman Flores and other members of the City Council. I guess the next step for an intrepid reporter would be to look up the zoning changes that they got if any.
Comment by King Benny Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 6:13 pm
Isn’t it pinstripe patronage if a deal is done just to help a big contributor? Half the board opposed the borrowing because it wasn’t necessary. Stroger just passed his budget three months ago, and he has to borrow to pay the bills? Come on ! And didn’t he just raise taxes by hundreds of millions?
Comment by Chicago Shopper Wednesday, Jun 18, 08 @ 8:09 pm
Isn’t it possible, just possible, that Hillary Clinton’s people were bussing in voters? After all, she’s from the Chicago area, too.
Comment by Lynn S. Thursday, Jun 19, 08 @ 11:09 pm