The recent Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of Honest Services fraud in corruption trials has meant that a slew of convictions have had to be re-examined by lower courts (like Conrad Black). Among those cases was former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization Chief Al Sanchez's conviction last year. more ›

Former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Al Sanchez, who was convicted earlier this year on federal corruption charges, is asking for a new trial in light of new developments in the case. Sanchez, who was convicted in March of rigging hiring through his position as a city commissioner and his role in the Hispanic Democratic Organization, has asked the judge for a new trial, citing prosecutors failure to disclose that a key government witness was a high-ranking gang member and drug-trafficker. According to Sanchez's lawyer Thomas Breen, Brian Gabriel, who testified against Sanchez in the corruption trial, was a member of the Spanish Vice Lords. "It is hard to imagine information that is more impeaching of a witness than self-admitted gang membership, even if such membership is in the past," Breen said. "The evidence of gang membership was also no doubt suppressed by the government. The prosecution learned of Gabriel's gang affiliation prior to trial and prior to Gabriel's testimony yet did not disclose it to the defense." more ›

Now that former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization chief Al Sanchez has been convicted of corruption, we needn't worry about the city steering contracts or hiring their friends. more ›

The federal corruption trial of former streets and sanitation commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization chief Al Sanchez ended yesterday afternoon in his conviction on four counts of mail fraud. His alleged co-conspirator Aaron DelValle (who ran as a stalking horse against 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis in 2007 in what was largely seen as an HDO vendetta against the alderman) was convicted of perjury. more ›

As Al Sanchez's trial on federal corruption charges wound down Wednesday, his lawyers made closing arguments before the jury, painting Sanchez as a community activist, a dedicated public servant, and, most telling, a victim of Mayor Daley's plan to use the city payroll as a reward for political work. more ›

Al Sanchez took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, as the federal corruption trial against him continues. In a move widely expected based on defense attorneys questioning during the prosecution's case, Sanchez blamed much of the patronage hiring on Intergovernmental Affairs Office (IGA). After a week and a half of hearing testimony from current and former city employees who claimed that HDO political workers got first crack at city jobs in Streets and Sanitation, Sanchez testified that he only wanted qualified people to work for him, vehemently dening that he had anything to do with hiring. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Manish Shah asked Sanchez if he was the city's Streets and Sanitation Commissioner, Sanchez replied "I had nothing to do with the hiring." Referring to the IGA, Sanchez said "That's the way it worked." more ›

The prosecution rested its case against Al Sanchez on Monday, after calling patronage workers and Streets and Sanitation insiders to the stand, and former associates from city departments that testified that they helped rig city hiring procedures to steer HDO campaign workers into city jobs. more ›

The federal corruption trial against former Chicago Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Al Sanchez continued with prosecutors calling yet another city worker to the stand, and virtually forcing former HDO worker Aaron DelValle to testify. more ›

The federal corruption trial of Al Sanchez continued yesterday, as prosecutors called Denise Alcantar to the witness stand. Alcantar, who drives a city recycling truck , testified that she was encouraged by other city workers she knew to get involved in the HDO as a means to a city job. When she submitted her application, she turned it in not at City Hall, but at Shy Ways, a Southwest side biker bar where she went to coordinate with HDO leaders about campaign activities she worked on. When she applied for the job, her only prior experience was working as a customer service representative in the private sector, and as an office worker for state Rep. Edward Acevedo, who also had benefited from the HDO's help. Along with illustrating their charges that Sanchez ran a corrupt hiring scheme predicated on political loyalty, prosecutors also sought to demonstrate the reckless and dangerous outcome of patronage hiring. more ›

The past few days of testimony in the Al Sanchez corruption trial have been wrought with allegations - both against Sanchez and the mayor, as well as other, lesser players in the HDO drama. The allegations that federal prosecutors made include the promise of city jobs should Richard Daley win election in 1989. "My understanding was that we would eventually get some political jobs, city jobs" if Daley became mayor, said Raymond Gamboa, a deputy commissioner in the city's General Services Department. Gamboa was describing a meeting that took place in a Southeast side bar in the late 1980's. Gamboa and Sanchez were part of a Hispanic group that was recruited to support the then-State's Attorney for mayor. That group eventually merged with other pro-Daley groups on the South side to become the Hispanic Democratic Organization. more ›

Excited about Al Sanchez's trial? Longing for the good old days when the city could afford to pay a bunch of HDO ward heelers overtime to actually plow the streets? Got some tax refund money burning a hole in your pocket? Now you can own a collectible piece of Chicago! Thanks to Australian-based Quarry Diecast Models DownUnder, you can order your very own diecast model Chicago Streets and Sanitation truck. And don't forget to get a set of HDO workers to staff your vehicles. No word yet on whether they plan to issue diecast broken kitchen chairs to "dib" your model parking spot. more ›

The trial of Al Sanchez, former Streets and Sanitation commissioner and head of the Hispanic Democratic Organization, started in earnest yesterday, as federal prosecutors began their opening statements. Sanchez, who is charged with seven counts of mail fraud, is accused of rigging city hiring to steer HDO workers into city jobs, effectively building a patronage army. According to prosecutors, the hiring and promotion process at City Hall was "rigged -- it was corrupt." Said Assistant U.S. Atty. Steven Grimes, "it was a sham from top to bottom...Mr. Sanchez used city jobs as currency." more ›

Cook County Commissioner and GOP candidate for state's attorney Tony Peraica took a swipe at his opponent, Democrat Anita Alvarez yesterday. "It reinforces to the citizens of Cook County that what we have is corruption on steroids that is prevalent at all levels of government," Peraica said, referring to a photograph of her on the front page of last week's El Dia, a Spanish language newspaper. That photograph, taken during a fundraiser at a Southwest Side restaurant, shows her posing with Jorge Montes de Oca, Jr, son of the paper's owner and, until recently a wanted man. more ›