Are the Wheels Coming Off the Chicago Machine?Like father like son. Chicago Alderman Isaac "Ike" Carothers has pleaded guilty to corruption and faces 28 months in jail. His father, former Alderman William Carothers, was convicted of attempted extortion in 1983.
Here's how Chicago's WGN TV News announced the 31st Chicago City Council Alderman since 1973 -- but, hey, who's counting -- to be convicted of crimes that include paying a bribe, taking a bribe, extortion, attempted extortion, tax fraud, tax evasion, racketeering, and ghost-payrolling schemes.
They have a quorum in the pen ...
Ike was formally charged with fraud and bribery last May by U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the legal beagle who has former Governor Rod Blagojevich facing trial this summer. That is, unless Blago does enough talking to turn a plea deal. And that's a potential factor that makes the Carothers' case particularly interesting.
You can catch up on the details of Ike's misdeeds in the Chicago print media here, here and here.
Let's piece together lines from two of those articles. First, the Chicago Sun Times piece:
He [Carothers] wasn't shy during the eight-month period between his indictment and conviction. Carothers continued to show up regularly at City Hall, chairing Police and Fire Committee meetings and rising on the City Council floor to participate in debates.Okay, so Ike kept involved in Machine business after his indictment. Guess what he was doing during that time? WGN News tells us.
As part of his cooperation with the government, Carothers has secretly worn a wire in corruption investigations. Prosecutors have been mum about what other shady arrangements Carothers has been involved in, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox told U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. during the plea hearing that the alderman has been helpful in 'at least two matters.'Oh, oh, Ike wore a wire!
Once upon a time, the Machine relied on a code of silence. If you got caught, you paid your penalty and the Machine cranked on. But Ike wore a wire. This summer, an even bigger fish, Blagojevich, could have many more things to say based on his intimate knowledge of the Machine.
How long do you suppose it'll be before U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald is 'promoted' out of the Northern District of Illinois?