Laski Steps In It

By Amy Hart in News on Jan 11, 2006 5:00PM

The Hired Truck scandal isn't going away anytime soon. Today the Sun-Times reports that federal prosecutors have announced that they have secret audio recordings of City Clerk James Laski that incriminate him in the scheme:

Investigators are focusing on Laski's possible efforts to get business for a Hired Truck firm once owned by Laski's longtime friend and employee, Michael "Mick" Jones. The investigators have explored whether Laski received any payments or benefits for trying to drum up work for Get Plowed, a small trucking company no longer in the Hired Truck Program.

Donald Tomczak, the convicted head of the city's Water Department, told federal prosecutors that Laski would visit him at Tomczak's office at the Jardine Water Filtration Plant near Navy Pier to ask Tomczak to use the trucking firm, Get Plowed, for Hired Truck jobs.

Why are we not surprised that the Water Department is involved here?

Laski previously told investigators that he had done nothing wrong, but whatever is on these tapes must be good because Laski is now working out a deal with prosecutors to cooperate with the investigation.

Laski hasn’t been seen in his office for weeks, which is funny since the City Clerk’s website has a link entitled “Where is the City Clerk?” Apparently he is at home worrying about his pension and abandoning any hopes of running for state treasurer.