Duff Business Ban Upped from 3 Years to Lifetime

James Duff, a Daley friend with mob ties who scammed Chicago out of $100 million meant for women and minority-owned companies, has been banned from doing business
with the City for 3 years.

Wait...what?

That was everyone else's reaction, too, after Montel Gayles, the city's chief purchasing officer, and the Department of Procurement made an announcement this morning. Inspector General David Hoffman had recommended a lifetime ban, and after several aldermen and other local politicians publicly denounced the sentence, Gayles changed his mind. His office changed the ban to a lifetime one.

Mayor Daley's chief of staff Lori Healey says the three-year ban was "an unfortunate error," and that the situation is "a little bit of a mess." Gayles says it was just a mistake made in haste to clear the case, and that "based on the conduct of these individuals, they should be permanently disbarred. There's no question about it."

Duff is currently in prison. [Trib, S-T]