Duff You Don't Want To Mess With

By vouchey in News on Feb 1, 2005 5:32PM

Reputed friend of Mayor Daley and alleged crooked businessman James Duff threatens with more than just his good looks. He also likes to threaten his clients with words.

Allegedly in 1995 Duff, owner of Remedial Environmental Manpower Inc., threatened a VP of his client Waste Management. According to the VP, Michael Lockman,

"He said he knew where I lived, he knew where my family lived."

Lockman said he told Duff, "If he came to my house, he better be armed because I was."

Duff is accused of getting faking minority ownership of companies so he could qualify for city contracts. A couple of weeks ago he pled guilty to 33 counts of fraud. Now his accomplices are being tried.

In other fun Duff News, Illinois campaign finance reports were filed yesterday, revealing a bunch of city officials that took campaign contributions from a union fund controlled by the Duff family. The total amount, $5,000 in 2004, may sound like a lot, but that pales in comparison to the dozens of $1,000 contributions Mayor Daley received last year.