Feds Visit Another City Office

By vouchey in News on May 4, 2005 12:53PM

This time it was without a warrant and with the full cooperation of the Mayor's staff, but for about twenty minutes after work hours on Monday, federal investigators visited the Department of Streets and Sanitation, their third city office in as many days. The U.S. Attorney won't comment on what they were looking for, and city Corporation Counsel Mara Georges is repeatedly telling reporters how cooperative Mayor Daley is being. The Mayor, nor his senior officials, have been accused of any wrongdoing.

As Chicagoist said yesterday, the U.S. Attorney tends to tread carefully around elected officials. A steady series of document searches suggests the feds are not only looking for something, they know what they are looking for.

Carol Marin, from the Sun Times, reminds us of the the Greylord and Gambat investigations back in the 80's which revealed corruption in the circuit courts and The Outfit's control of the old First Ward. Those investigations took years, as federal moles recorded endless conversations of bribery and courtroom fixes. Then, when they had the evidence they needed, they started handing out indictments. Lawyers, judges, an aldermen, and a state senator. Nobody was safe.

And if the U.S. Attorney keeps showing up at City Hall offices looking for documents, we could see a repeat performance.