With a Capital C
Cross-posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:
Robert Sorich, the number two guy in Mayor Richard Daley's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, was sentenced today to 46 months in jail. His conviction last Spring made the point that tying public jobs to political performance is illegal all by itself; there is no need for the feds to show that anybody took a bribe or other personal payment to encourage trading public quid for private quo. And now his sentencing shows that judges take this kind of crime seriously, too. Judge David H. Cour noted that "The offense is corruption - corruption with a capital C," adding that "for people to owe their jobs to political advancement rather than performance on the job stinks."
The verdict should also be a warning to anyone else considering or currently tying public benefits to political actions. What's striking about the Hired Truck scandals that have, so far, culminated in this sentencing is that the underlying criminal acts took place at the same time that Operation Safe Road was convicting people of nearly identical acts at the Secretary of State's office. Some of the allegations in Hired Truck indictments even took place after other City employees had been indicted. Some day soon, we hope, insiders everywhere, at the state and local levels, will get the message that it's just not worth it, that no one is immune, and the feds are looking for this stuff. And, so far, the feds' record is better than the Bears'.
3 comments:
It's a Shame with a Capital 'S' - the Shame of exercising the Federal Justice System as a legal fulcrum to lift the barn and catch the rats.
In effect Judge Coar, an old Bankruptcy Judge appointed ( politically appointed mind you) by President Clinton, in league with the local U.S. Attorney is racking Sorich to get the 'next' victim to sing out. When Tom Durkin, Constitutional True Believer of aCriminal Attorny who has defended accused Hamas supporters in the past as well, cries foul against the Feds, it's time to examine Star Chamber in Fitzy's control.
I think that Durkin is right and Fitz is a wrong guy. The Feds could send Mother Theresa to the Chair.
The use of any criteria other than merit to facilitate hiring for public payrolls is nothing other than a fraud on the taxpayers.
To stand up and try to look like an old movie style don by not cooperating with the authorities shows that the old style political machine does not get it and is not interested in any kind of reform.
Sentences for convicted criminals like Mr. Sorich need to be 10 years or longer, with loss of pension benefits. Until then, the citizens of Illinois will conntinue to have their wallets lightened by the elite.
'Until then, the citizens of Illinois will conntinue to have their wallets lightened by the elite. '
With all due respect, Pluto, once the professional public servant vanishes - which is part of the deal - the elite will only then begin to vacuum our wallets.
Once the people who know how to operate government - and it is an art or a trade, if you will - are taken off the map then the real looting of of way of life wil begin.
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