Ah, Chicago. Politics as Usual (1 Viewer)

Derrick Smith Election Results: Illinois State Rep Re-elected Despite Indictment, Expulsion

Despite his arrest on a felony bribery charge earlier this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was re-elected in Tuesday's election.

In Illinois' heavily Democratic, 10th legislative district, Smith was challenged by independent candidate Lance Tyson, who was endorsed by Governor Pat Quinn and Secretary of State Jesse White. Smith still managed to win 62 percent of the district's vote with 72 percent of precincts reporting. As of that time, Tyson had won 38 percent support.

Smith was expelled by his colleagues in the state House of Representatives in August in the first such vote in over a century. The Chicago Democrat was arrested in March after he allegedly accepted a $7,000 cash bribe to write an official letter of support for a fictional daycare center that he believed was seeking a state grant. According to the criminal complaint, the informant working with the FBI delivered an envelope filled with the cash to Smith, which he accepted.

One week after Smith was charged with accepting the daycare center bribe, he still managed to win the support of about 76 percent of the vote in the state Democratic primary over Tom Swiss, former chairman of the Cook County Republican party. Prior to that vote, a coalition of Chicago Democrats urged primary voters to re-elect Smith despite the controversy.

Smith has continually maintained his innocence, even as White recently proclaimed that Smith's issues were "ugly for this district, it's ugly for this city and it's ugly for this state." Once re-elected, a state lawmaker in Illinois cannot be re-expelled by his or her peers for the same reason as a previous expulsion.

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'Limp Ditka said:

And don't forget Jesse Jr. landsliding.

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'Psychopav said:

'Limp Ditka said:

And don't forget Jesse Jr. landsliding.

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That's the one that gets me. Dude hasn't even been in state for 8 months, let alone campaigning lol.No campaigning and his opponent ALMOST got to 25%.

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'Limp Ditka said:

'Psychopav said:

'Limp Ditka said:

And don't forget Jesse Jr. landsliding.

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That's the one that gets me. Dude hasn't even been in state for 8 months, let alone campaigning lol.No campaigning and his opponent ALMOST got to 25%.

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Drives me nuts, but let's be honest.... As long as he's an elected official, the spotlight's going to be that much brighter when the hammer comes down.

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Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) — who won a commanding reelection victory Tuesday night with 64 percent of the vote — is discussing a possible plea deal with the Justice Department regarding the misuse of campaign funds, according to Chicago-area news sources.

Jackson, who has checked himself back into the Mayo Clinic following outpatient treatment in Washington, is being investigated for allegedly using campaign funds to decorate his Washington home, but also possibly for using $40,000 in campaign funds to buy a Rolex watch as a gift for a female friend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Two Jackson aides did not immediately return comment to The Washington Post.

The Sun-Times has reported previously that the probe by the FBI’s Washington office began in June.

Jackson is no stranger to federal investigations: He was caught up in the scandal surrounding former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s decisions over who should replace President Obama in the U.S. Senate. Jackson has denied any involvement and was never charged in connection with the case.

Jackson returned to his Dupont Circle-area home in September, but did not cast any votes before the House’s election-season recess began. Within days of returning home, aides confirmed that the congressman has put his D.C. home on the market. The Victorian-style townhouse lists for $2.5 million and includes four bedrooms, three full baths, two half baths, five fireplaces, a kitchen, sun room, rooftop deck and jacuzzi.

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Hours after re-election, judge in court on battery charge

By Steve Schmadeke

Tribune reporter

12:48 p.m. CST, November 7, 2012

Hours after being re-elected to the bench in Cook County, Judge Cynthia Brim appeared in court this morning on a misdemeanor charge of battery.

"I'm just happy the people voted me back in," Brim said after her status hearing, at which a Cook County judge transferred her case to yet another judge.

Brim was charged in March after she allegedly shoved a sheriff’s deputy and tossed a set of keys toward another at a security checkpoint in the Daley Center. Her arrest came one day after she apparently went on an extended tirade while on the bench in the Markham courthouse.

Brim’s attorney James Montgomery said this morning that his client was "legally insane" at the time of the alleged battery.

He said Brim has bipolar disorder but her physician has cleared her to return to the bench, saying the condition can be controlled with medication, Montgomery said.

"I don't know why they are wasting good, precious judicial resources and Judge Brim's money on this case," he said.

He said his client will not resign and it will be up to the judicial inquiry board, which he said is investigating, to determine whether Brim is fit to serve as judge.

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'Christo said:

Hours after re-election, judge in court on battery charge

By Steve Schmadeke

Tribune reporter

12:48 p.m. CST, November 7, 2012

Hours after being re-elected to the bench in Cook County, Judge Cynthia Brim appeared in court this morning on a misdemeanor charge of battery.

"I'm just happy the people voted me back in," Brim said after her status hearing, at which a Cook County judge transferred her case to yet another judge.

Brim was charged in March after she allegedly shoved a sheriff’s deputy and tossed a set of keys toward another at a security checkpoint in the Daley Center. Her arrest came one day after she apparently went on an extended tirade while on the bench in the Markham courthouse.

Brim’s attorney James Montgomery said this morning that his client was "legally insane" at the time of the alleged battery.

He said Brim has bipolar disorder but her physician has cleared her to return to the bench, saying the condition can be controlled with medication, Montgomery said.

"I don't know why they are wasting good, precious judicial resources and Judge Brim's money on this case," he said.

He said his client will not resign and it will be up to the judicial inquiry board, which he said is investigating, to determine whether Brim is fit to serve as judge.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-hours-after-reelection-judge-in-court-on-battery-charge-20121107,0,3114619.storyIt's insane. Everywhere you looked for information on judges it said to not re-elect Brim. But people still voted for her.

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'Christo said:

Hours after re-election, judge in court on battery charge

By Steve Schmadeke

Tribune reporter

12:48 p.m. CST, November 7, 2012

Hours after being re-elected to the bench in Cook County, Judge Cynthia Brim appeared in court this morning on a misdemeanor charge of battery.

"I'm just happy the people voted me back in," Brim said after her status hearing, at which a Cook County judge transferred her case to yet another judge.

Brim was charged in March after she allegedly shoved a sheriff’s deputy and tossed a set of keys toward another at a security checkpoint in the Daley Center. Her arrest came one day after she apparently went on an extended tirade while on the bench in the Markham courthouse.

Brim’s attorney James Montgomery said this morning that his client was "legally insane" at the time of the alleged battery.

He said Brim has bipolar disorder but her physician has cleared her to return to the bench, saying the condition can be controlled with medication, Montgomery said.

"I don't know why they are wasting good, precious judicial resources and Judge Brim's money on this case," he said.

He said his client will not resign and it will be up to the judicial inquiry board, which he said is investigating, to determine whether Brim is fit to serve as judge.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-hours-after-reelection-judge-in-court-on-battery-charge-20121107,0,3114619.storyIt's insane. Everywhere you looked for information on judges it said to not re-elect Brim. But people still voted for her.

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'Christo said:

It's insane. Everywhere you looked for information on judges it said to not re-elect Brim. But people still voted for her.

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Clayton County will have a new sheriff next year.

Former sheriff Victor Hill defeated incumbent Kem Kimbrough 54 to 46 percent with nearly all precincts reported.  Kimbrough unseated Hill from the position four years ago.

Hill came out on top despite a 37 count indictment against him, including racketeering charges, from his previous time in office.

Kimbrough had led in the vote count much of the night.

"It's a little bit nerve-racking to see people want to put the fate of the county back in the hands of somebody's who's already shown us what he's capable of," said Kimbrough.

http://m.wsbradio.com/news/news/indicted-victor-hill-elected-clayton-co-sheriff-ag/nRHB4/

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'Christo said:

'Limp Ditka said:

'Psychopav said:

'Limp Ditka said:

And don't forget Jesse Jr. landsliding.

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That's the one that gets me. Dude hasn't even been in state for 8 months, let alone campaigning lol.No campaigning and his opponent ALMOST got to 25%.

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Drives me nuts, but let's be honest.... As long as he's an elected official, the spotlight's going to be that much brighter when the hammer comes down.

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Looks like he's looking for a deal:

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) — who won a commanding reelection victory Tuesday night with 64 percent of the vote — is discussing a possible plea deal with the Justice Department regarding the misuse of campaign funds, according to Chicago-area news sources.

Jackson, who has checked himself back into the Mayo Clinic following outpatient treatment in Washington, is being investigated for allegedly using campaign funds to decorate his Washington home, but also possibly for using $40,000 in campaign funds to buy a Rolex watch as a gift for a female friend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Two Jackson aides did not immediately return comment to The Washington Post.

The Sun-Times has reported previously that the probe by the FBI’s Washington office began in June.

Jackson is no stranger to federal investigations: He was caught up in the scandal surrounding former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s decisions over who should replace President Obama in the U.S. Senate. Jackson has denied any involvement and was never charged in connection with the case.

Jackson returned to his Dupont Circle-area home in September, but did not cast any votes before the House’s election-season recess began. Within days of returning home, aides confirmed that the congressman has put his D.C. home on the market. The Victorian-style townhouse lists for $2.5 million and includes four bedrooms, three full baths, two half baths, five fireplaces, a kitchen, sun room, rooftop deck and jacuzzi.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/wp/2012/11/08/reports-jesse-jackson-jr-in-plea-deal-talks/

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'jonessed said:

'Christo said:

'Limp Ditka said:

'Psychopav said:

'Limp Ditka said:

And don't forget Jesse Jr. landsliding.

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That's the one that gets me. Dude hasn't even been in state for 8 months, let alone campaigning lol.No campaigning and his opponent ALMOST got to 25%.

Click to expand...

Drives me nuts, but let's be honest.... As long as he's an elected official, the spotlight's going to be that much brighter when the hammer comes down.

Click to expand...

Looks like he's looking for a deal:

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) — who won a commanding reelection victory Tuesday night with 64 percent of the vote — is discussing a possible plea deal with the Justice Department regarding the misuse of campaign funds, according to Chicago-area news sources.

Jackson, who has checked himself back into the Mayo Clinic following outpatient treatment in Washington, is being investigated for allegedly using campaign funds to decorate his Washington home, but also possibly for using $40,000 in campaign funds to buy a Rolex watch as a gift for a female friend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Two Jackson aides did not immediately return comment to The Washington Post.

The Sun-Times has reported previously that the probe by the FBI’s Washington office began in June.

Jackson is no stranger to federal investigations: He was caught up in the scandal surrounding former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s decisions over who should replace President Obama in the U.S. Senate. Jackson has denied any involvement and was never charged in connection with the case.

Jackson returned to his Dupont Circle-area home in September, but did not cast any votes before the House’s election-season recess began. Within days of returning home, aides confirmed that the congressman has put his D.C. home on the market. The Victorian-style townhouse lists for $2.5 million and includes four bedrooms, three full baths, two half baths, five fireplaces, a kitchen, sun room, rooftop deck and jacuzzi.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/wp/2012/11/08/reports-jesse-jackson-jr-in-plea-deal-talks/

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We rarely catch corrupt politicians, but when we do they have to be punished. Slaps on the wrist will simply not cut it. There has to be serious consequences for corruption.

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'Jewell said:

'Christo said:

It's insane. Everywhere you looked for information on judges it said to not re-elect Brim. But people still voted for her.

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My favorite in this year's 'Crooks Elected' category comes to us from suburban Atlanta...

Clayton County will have a new sheriff next year.

Former sheriff Victor Hill defeated incumbent Kem Kimbrough 54 to 46 percent with nearly all precincts reported.  Kimbrough unseated Hill from the position four years ago.

Hill came out on top despite a 37 count indictment against him, including racketeering charges, from his previous time in office.

Kimbrough had led in the vote count much of the night.

"It's a little bit nerve-racking to see people want to put the fate of the county back in the hands of somebody's who's already shown us what he's capable of," said Kimbrough.

http://m.wsbradio.com/news/news/indicted-victor-hill-elected-clayton-co-sheriff-ag/nRHB4/

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Cook County Commissioner William Beavers convicted of tax evasion in less than 2 hours

Longtime politician defiant even after guilty verdict, details of his gambling

By Annie Sweeney, Chicago Tribune reporter

8:10 a.m. CDT, March 22, 2013

Cook County Commissioner William Beavers was convicted Thursday by a federal jury in less than two hours — a swift decision that would have unnerved many a defendant.

But not Beavers, who stood in the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse minutes after the verdict with a broad smile on his face, delivering a salty remark or two and displaying the calm resignation of someone who has battled it out in Chicago's Democratic political scrum for three decades.

"You fight and if you win, you win. If you lose, you lose," Beavers said. "What do I have to lose? I'm 78 years old. ... What can the judge do to me?"

Beavers, convicted on all four counts in the tax evasion case, vowed to fight on with an appeal and minced no words about federal authorities, accusing them once again of targeting him for refusing to work undercover for them. But this time he also criticized U.S. District Judge James Zagel, alleging he hamstrung his defense to the point that Beavers saw no point in taking the witness stand despite his many promises to do so.

"The judge was really unfair," he told a crush of journalists. "That's why I didn't take the stand because he never would have let me tell what I wanted to tell."

Beavers faces up to 12 years in prison, though he is likely to be given far less in part because of his age and long public service. No sentencing date was set Thursday.

The felony conviction means Beavers will have to resign his County Board seat, but it wasn't immediately clear how soon that might happen.

The swiftness of the verdict surprised Beavers and other observers following the week-and-a-half trial. But both sides agreed that the case came down to a rather simple question — were the tens of thousands of dollars Beavers was accused of taking out of his campaign funds to gamble with loans or personal income?

As it turned out, the jury quickly decided that Beavers broke the law by failing to pay taxes on the money.

Prosecutors contended that Beavers used his campaign funds from 2006 through 2008 as if they were cash machines, blowing the money at slot machines on frequent visits to the Horseshoe Casino. He also was charged with failing to pay taxes on a $68,000 campaign check that he deposited into his city pension to double his monthly payout and a combined $28,800 in monthly stipends he received from the county.

The government argued that Beavers decided to cheat on his income taxes in those three years after getting socked with a $27,000 tax bill in 2005 when he reported $43,000 in campaign money that he spent on himself.

Rulings by Zagel before trial barred Beavers' attorneys from bringing out allegations that the FBI had targeted him after he refused to wear a wire on John Daley, another County Board commissioner and brother of former Mayor Richard Daley, unless Beavers took the stand.

That left his six-member legal team to focus nearly its entire defense on convincing the jury that Beavers considered the money he took from his campaign funds loans that he planned to pay back — and thus didn't have to pay taxes on.

In a rousing closing argument in which he referenced actress Lindsey Lohan and basketball coach Phil Jackson, Sam Adam Jr. battled through objection after objection from prosecutors to land his message with the jury.

"It ain't about taxes. It ain't about gambling," Adam said. "It's about whether Commissioner Beavers broke a single, solitary law when he borrowed money."

But Assistant U.S. Atty. Matthew Getter stressed to jurors that there was no evidence, such as loan agreements, in the voluminous campaign and bank records pored over by Internal Revenue Service agents that showed Beavers lent himself the campaign money.

"Sometimes he put money back in. Sometimes he didn't," Getter said. "It was all up to him. … For money to be a loan, there has to be an actual obligation (to pay it back)."

While Beavers was not charged with any gambling-related offenses, the trial provided a look at his habit. Precise records from the Horseshoe Casino showed Beavers clocking in and out of the casino multiple times during the same days. All but seven of the 100 campaign checks he wrote to himself were cashed either the day before, on the day or the day after he played the slots, according to evidence at trial.

The jury learned that the volume of his gambling earned him the highest VIP status at the Hammond casino, bringing him perks like free steak dinners and show tickets. But casino records — his betting was tracked electronically because he used his VIP player's card in the slots — showed he lost a combined $477,000 over the three years.

After the verdict, Beavers denied he had a gambling problem and insisted he hadn't lost a dime. He said people don't understand how to count gambling losses, mixing winnings with losses.

He also claimed he had not been at a riverboat for a year.

"Does that sound like I've got a gambling problem?" he said defiantly.

Between his stints as a Chicago alderman and on the County Board, Beavers has held public office for 30 years, not to mention an additional 21 years as a Chicago police officer. Known for his sharp suits and wit, Beavers is an old-school pol who is unapologetic, speaks his mind and leaves reporters chuckling, even after his conviction. He let an expletive fly on live TV when he scoffed at a reporter's question.

When he was asked if he was charged because he wouldn't wear a wire on John Daley, he said there was no question that was the case.

"I mean Ray Charles could see that," he said, chuckling himself.

Acting U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro later said the swift verdict reflected the overwhelming evidence and addressed for the first time Beavers' allegations that his refusal to cooperate led to his indictment.

"We approach hundreds of people, maybe thousands over the decades ... to cooperate with us, to help us ferret out public corruption, financial fraud, organized crime, terrorism. We don't just turn around and prosecute the ones who say, 'No, I don't want to have anything to do with you guys.'"

asweeney@tribune.com

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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Despite his arrest on a felony bribery charge earlier this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was re-elected in Tuesday's election.

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Former Illinois congressman Mel Reynolds has been arrested in Zimbabwe, an immigration official said on Tuesday, after state media reported the convicted sex offender had been found with pornography at a local hotel.

Police and immigration officials were investigating Reynolds for living in the southern African country without a valid visa, Francis Mabika, an assistant regional immigration officer, told Reuters.

Mabika said Reynolds has been in Zimbabwe since November, but declined to give further details.

Reuters was unable to reach Reynolds for comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Harare declined to comment.

The state-owned Herald newspaper said the former Illinois congressman had been arrested at a hotel in the capital Harare on Monday, where he had been found in possession of pornographic videos and pictures.

Possession of pornography is a crime in Zimbabwe.

He had also run up $24,500 in unpaid hotel bills, the newspaper said.

"I have been in this country 17 times where I have done a lot of work for the people including the fight against sanctions," the newspaper quoted Reynolds as saying.

The Herald's website showed a picture of a baseball-capped Reynolds being led away by two men, his hands clasped in front of him.

Mel Reynolds, a former Rhodes scholar, served as an Illinois congressman from 1993 to 1995.

In 1994, the sitting congressman was indicted for sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse for a relationship with a 16-year-old volunteer during his 1992 campaign. Reynolds was convicted in 1995 on sexual assault and solicitation of child pornography charges and resigned on October 1st of the same year.

While serving a five-year prison sentence, Reynolds was convicted of 15 unrelated counts of bank fraud and lying to SEC investigators, adding 78 months to his prison term. His sentence was commuted by President Bill Clinton in 2001.

Reynolds attempted a political comeback in the 2004 race for a U.S. House of Representatives seat, but was soundly defeated by Jesse Jackson Jr. in the Democratic primary.

In 2012, the ex-representative made an attempt at his former seat after Jackson resigned, running in a primary race under the slogan "Redemption".

Tribune staff, MacDonald Dzirutwe, David Dolan and Andrew Heavens contributed to this report.

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Christo said:

GB Richie Daley. Chicago is suing a business for getting a sweetheart deal while Richie was mayor. He has been subpoenaed as a witness. His lawyers are arguing that his health precludes him from testifying. So the judge asks his lawyers what health problem he has that precludes him from testifying. Their answer? It's protected, we're not going to tell you.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-daley-lawyers-keep-health-details-private-in-park-grill-trial-20140715,0,7360221.story

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Limp Ditka said:

I liked how the 'anonymous donor' helped pay off JJJ's debt so he could keep both of his homes.

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Christo said:

Derrick Smith Election Results: Illinois State Rep Re-elected Despite Indictment, Expulsion

Despite his arrest on a felony bribery charge earlier this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was re-elected in Tuesday's election.

...

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/derrick-smith-election-results_n_2079236.htmlChicago, you never fail to disappoint

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CHICAGO, June 10 (Reuters) - A federal jury on Tuesday found an Illinois state representative guilty of taking a $7,000 bribe to support a state grant for a day-care center.The jury reached the verdict on the second day of deliberations in the trial of Derrick Smith, a Chicago Democrat, who was charged following an FBI undercover investigation that caught him talking about the payoff on tape.

He also was found guilty of attempted extortion, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago said.

Smith, 50, was expelled by the Illinois House in 2012 after he was charged with taking the bribe. He won his seat back the same year, but lost the Democratic primary in March despite the backing of powerful state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

After the verdict, Smith told reporters he represented his constituents "to the best of my ability."

"I did what I thought was right ..." he said. "I was working for the people."

Chicago ranked first in the nation in public corruption over the past three decades and has had 1,531 public corruption convictions since 1976, according to a 2012 University of Illinois at Chicago analysis of U.S. Department of Justice statistics.

Under state law, Smith loses his seat in the legislature with his bribery conviction.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on the bribery count.

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SaintsInDome2006 said:

Christo said:

Derrick Smith Election Results: Illinois State Rep Re-elected Despite Indictment, Expulsion

Despite his arrest on a felony bribery charge earlier this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was re-elected in Tuesday's election.

...

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/derrick-smith-election-results_n_2079236.htmlChicago, you never fail to disappoint

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Smith finally convicted:

CHICAGO, June 10 (Reuters) - A federal jury on Tuesday found an Illinois state representative guilty of taking a $7,000 bribe to support a state grant for a day-care center.The jury reached the verdict on the second day of deliberations in the trial of Derrick Smith, a Chicago Democrat, who was charged following an FBI undercover investigation that caught him talking about the payoff on tape.

He also was found guilty of attempted extortion, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago said.

Smith, 50, was expelled by the Illinois House in 2012 after he was charged with taking the bribe. He won his seat back the same year, but lost the Democratic primary in March despite the backing of powerful state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

After the verdict, Smith told reporters he represented his constituents "to the best of my ability."

"I did what I thought was right ..." he said. "I was working for the people."

Chicago ranked first in the nation in public corruption over the past three decades and has had 1,531 public corruption convictions since 1976, according to a 2012 University of Illinois at Chicago analysis of U.S. Department of Justice statistics.

Under state law, Smith loses his seat in the legislature with his bribery conviction.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on the bribery count.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/10/derrick-smith-convicted_n_5481015.html

Let's repeat that:

Chicago ranks first in public corruption in the nation over three decades.

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Ilov80s said:

I am a lot more concerned with all the shootings than the graft.

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Ilov80s said:

I am a lot more concerned with all the shootings than the graft.

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Christo said:

Ilov80s said:

I am a lot more concerned with all the shootings than the graft.

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The raw numbers are impressive. But Chicago's murder rate is not even in the top 10 nationally. For large cities, Detroit, New Orleans and D.C. have higher murder rates.

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timschochet said:

Newark and the state of Louisiana have got to be jealous of that ranking.

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Officer Pete Malloy said:

Bears are winning. Nobody cares.

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SaintsInDome2006 said:

Ilov80s said:

I am a lot more concerned with all the shootings than the graft.

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Speaking as someone who hails from a city with similar dual problems - they are totally related.

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CletiusMaximus said:

“Fundraising against Mayor Emanuel is like playing cello against Yo-Yo Ma”

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SaintsInDome2006 said:

Christo said:

Derrick Smith Election Results: Illinois State Rep Re-elected Despite Indictment, Expulsion

Despite his arrest on a felony bribery charge earlier this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was re-elected in Tuesday's election.

...

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/derrick-smith-election-results_n_2079236.htmlChicago, you never fail to disappoint

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Smith finally convicted:

CHICAGO, June 10 (Reuters) - A federal jury on Tuesday found an Illinois state representative guilty of taking a $7,000 bribe to support a state grant for a day-care center.

The jury reached the verdict on the second day of deliberations in the trial of Derrick Smith, a Chicago Democrat, who was charged following an FBI undercover investigation that caught him talking about the payoff on tape.

He also was found guilty of attempted extortion, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago said.

Smith, 50, was expelled by the Illinois House in 2012 after he was charged with taking the bribe. He won his seat back the same year, but lost the Democratic primary in March despite the backing of powerful state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

After the verdict, Smith told reporters he represented his constituents "to the best of my ability."

"I did what I thought was right ..." he said. "I was working for the people."

Chicago ranked first in the nation in public corruption over the past three decades and has had 1,531 public corruption convictions since 1976, according to a 2012 University of Illinois at Chicago analysis of U.S. Department of Justice statistics.

Under state law, Smith loses his seat in the legislature with his bribery conviction.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on the bribery count.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/10/derrick-smith-convicted_n_5481015.html

Let's repeat that:

Chicago ranks first in public corruption in the nation over three decades.

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Michael J. Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.[1] He is the longest serving Speaker in state history, having held the position for all but two years since 1983.[2] He has been a member of the Illinois House since 1971, representing the 22nd district, a mostly Hispanic area surrounding Midway Airport in southwest Chicago.

Chicago Magazine named Madigan the fourth most powerful Chicagoan in 2012 and second in 2013, calling him "the Velvet Hammer—a.k.a. the Real Governor of Illinois."[3][4] Rich Miller, editor of the Capitol Fax Illinois politics newsletter, wrote "the pile of political corpses outside Madigan's Statehouse door of those who tried to beat him one way or another is a mile high and a mile wide."[5]

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Psychopav said:

SaintsInDome2006 said:

Christo said:

Derrick Smith Election Results: Illinois State Rep Re-elected Despite Indictment, Expulsion

Despite his arrest on a felony bribery charge earlier this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was re-elected in Tuesday's election.

...

Click to expand...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/derrick-smith-election-results_n_2079236.htmlChicago, you never fail to disappoint

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Smith finally convicted:

CHICAGO, June 10 (Reuters) - A federal jury on Tuesday found an Illinois state representative guilty of taking a $7,000 bribe to support a state grant for a day-care center.

The jury reached the verdict on the second day of deliberations in the trial of Derrick Smith, a Chicago Democrat, who was charged following an FBI undercover investigation that caught him talking about the payoff on tape.

He also was found guilty of attempted extortion, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago said.

Smith, 50, was expelled by the Illinois House in 2012 after he was charged with taking the bribe. He won his seat back the same year, but lost the Democratic primary in March despite the backing of powerful state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

After the verdict, Smith told reporters he represented his constituents "to the best of my ability."

"I did what I thought was right ..." he said. "I was working for the people."

Chicago ranked first in the nation in public corruption over the past three decades and has had 1,531 public corruption convictions since 1976, according to a 2012 University of Illinois at Chicago analysis of U.S. Department of Justice statistics.

Under state law, Smith loses his seat in the legislature with his bribery conviction.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on the bribery count.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/10/derrick-smith-convicted_n_5481015.html

Let's repeat that:

Chicago ranks first in public corruption in the nation over three decades.

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3 decades, you say?

Hmm...

Michael Madigan

Michael J. Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.[1] He is the longest serving Speaker in state history, having held the position for all but two years since 1983.[2] He has been a member of the Illinois House since 1971, representing the 22nd district, a mostly Hispanic area surrounding Midway Airport in southwest Chicago.

Chicago Magazine named Madigan the fourth most powerful Chicagoan in 2012 and second in 2013, calling him "the Velvet Hammer—a.k.a. the Real Governor of Illinois."[3][4] Rich Miller, editor of the Capitol Fax Illinois politics newsletter, wrote "the pile of political corpses outside Madigan's Statehouse door of those who tried to beat him one way or another is a mile high and a mile wide."[5]

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Officer Pete Malloy said:

Bears are winning. Nobody cares.

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pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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Christo said:

pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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I’m agnostic at this stage as to whether this was indeed part of some organized Republican skullduggery intended to hold down the Democratic vote or just a knuckleheaded bit of free-lancing by some low-level GOP operatives who didn’t foresee the consequences of their actions.

Just to be clear, neither Parrilli nor Meroni has been accused of any wrongdoing.

The alleged consequence is that the phone calls sowed confusion among Republican election judges, causing large numbers of them to fail to report for duty Tuesday.

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pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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Christo said:

Apparently, Bobby Rush has been receiving free rent for his local office for over 20 years.

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The committee makes public a twenty-page summary report on the allegations – which were first filed with the committee this past January -- that “Rush’s state and federal campaign committees may have accepted in-kind contributions, in the form of free office rental space, in violation of Illinois state law, House rules, and federal law.” That report shows that the six members of the ethics board voted unanimously to pursue those allegations, which involve the apparent lease of an office space on the south side, and more than $365,000 in allegedly free rent, over the past twenty years.

The office in question is Unit C-6 at 3361 S. King Drive in Chicago. The report says Rep. Rush rented that office from Lake Meadows Associates, during his time as a Chicago alderman, from 1989 until 1993, when he was sworn in as a member of Congress.

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Christo said:

pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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I’m agnostic at this stage as to whether this was indeed part of some organized Republican skullduggery intended to hold down the Democratic vote or just a knuckleheaded bit of free-lancing by some low-level GOP operatives who didn’t foresee the consequences of their actions.

Just to be clear, neither Parrilli nor Meroni has been accused of any wrongdoing.

The alleged consequence is that the phone calls sowed confusion among Republican election judges, causing large numbers of them to fail to report for duty Tuesday.

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Fennis said:

Christo said:

pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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I’m agnostic at this stage as to whether this was indeed part of some organized Republican skullduggery intended to hold down the Democratic vote or just a knuckleheaded bit of free-lancing by some low-level GOP operatives who didn’t foresee the consequences of their actions.

Just to be clear, neither Parrilli nor Meroni has been accused of any wrongdoing.

The alleged consequence is that the phone calls sowed confusion among Republican election judges, causing large numbers of them to fail to report for duty Tuesday.

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You make an interesting point

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SaintsInDome2006 said:

pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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In the Obama / Daley / Rezco / Axelrod backyard, the GOP "suppressed" turnout. Yeah ok.

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pantagrapher said:

Christo said:

pantagrapher said:

GOP suppressed voting in Chicago with robocalls.

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I’m agnostic at this stage as to whether this was indeed part of some organized Republican skullduggery intended to hold down the Democratic vote or just a knuckleheaded bit of free-lancing by some low-level GOP operatives who didn’t foresee the consequences of their actions.

Just to be clear, neither Parrilli nor Meroni has been accused of any wrongdoing.

The alleged consequence is that the phone calls sowed confusion among Republican election judges, causing large numbers of them to fail to report for duty Tuesday.

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Yeah, I've been following the story. Of course it's low-level idiots doing the heavy lifting. The national GOP was heavily involved in mobilizing for Rauner, so I seriously doubt they'd allow their fingerprints to be anywhere near this scheme.

And I also doubt the actual calls will end up being illegal. I said a while back that I'll bet the language used was carefully chosen to fall just within the bounds of legality.

They're lucky Rauner won handily. Had it been closer, this would be under a more powerful microscope.

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