Chicago Officials Convicted in Patronage Arrangement

CHICAGO, July 6 — A jury convicted four former city officials here on corruption charges Thursday, sending a resounding message, prosecutors said, that City Hall's legendary patronage machine should come to a halt.

After a six-week trial and three and a half days of deliberations, the jury of 10 men and 2 women agreed with the federal government's argument that the city's longtime practice of awarding jobs and promotions to politically connected candidates and campaign workers was a crime.

Led by the office of Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney here and also the special prosecutor in the C.I.A. leak case in Washington, prosecutors attacked what they called a "corrupt clout machine" that orchestrated a fraud in city hiring and promotions.

So when is George W. Bush's court date? Bush appoints his cronies to every post there is including FEMA and the Supreme Court as in the attempt to put Harriet Miers in there. If the federal government says this is illegal for the city to do, then why isn't it illeagl for the politicians in the federal government to do? Whats good for the goose . . .

The rest of the story

Things That Just Piss Me Off!
Get Your Own Blog Free. No Ads.