Beavers To Hold Legal Defense Fundraiser... At A McDonald's

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 9, 2012 2:00PM

Indicted Cook County Commissioner William Beavers is scrambling to raise funds for his legal defense. (Although he could save some money if he didn't hit the casinos twice a week for "relaxation.")

Beavers is holding a legal defense fundraiser Monday at the Navy Pier McDonald's in what's being touted as a $125-per-person "open bar and buffet." That's a lot of Big Macs, y'all. The owner of that McDonald's, Blanton Canady, is a longtime Beavers supporter and has donated to the campaign funds of Beavers and daughter Darcel, the former 7th Ward Alderman. Beavers wouldn't tell the Sun-Times details of the event or whether he was having financial trouble, only stating "It's just a fund-raiser" when asked.

But here's one reason why he may be holding the fundraiser: Beavers' legal team includes Sam Adam, Sr. and the boisterous Sam Adam, Jr., whom we believe could have been the difference between Rod Blagojevch being convicted of one charge in his first trial and Blagojevich being convicted of 17 corruption counts in his retrial. The Adamses don't work for cheap.

Beavers, the self-styled "hog with the big nuts," was indicted on tax evasion charges in February and has been trying to deflect attention away from him ever since. He told media he was only indicted because he refused to wear a wire for federal investigators to get something on fellow commissioner John Daley. (Daley, who doesn't get along with Beavers, expressed surprise his name would be brought into the discussion.)

Beavers, after pleading not guilty to the charges, later said federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigations led to the suicides of former Chicago School Board head Michael Scott, former Rod Blagojevich ally Chris Kelly, and Orlando Jones, a Cook County aide and former godson of the late Cook County Board President John Stroger. Only Kelly was investigated by Fitzgerald.