County Commissioner Asks For U.S. Attorney To Investigate Cicero

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 27, 2012 3:45PM

A Cook County Commissioner, after reading reports of the latest shenanigans happening in Cicero, is asking the U.S. Attorney’s office to investigate the town’s government. First, this probably should have been happening sooner. Second: there aren’t enough hours in a day.

Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia wrote a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro Thursday that read:

”If 50 percent of the highest-paid officials and directors in the Town of Cicero are not showing up to work while receiving full salary and benefits, we must take immediate action to end this fraudulent hiring scheme.”

Garcia’s letter comes two days after a Sun-Times story about the resignation of Elizabeth Dominick, wife of Town President Larry Dominick, from her job as head of Cicero’s Public Health Department. Elizabeth Dominick tendered her resignation in a disjointed letter where she cited “horrific mental abuse” and regretted not bringing more people to Christ. She also said her brothers-in-law were undermining her husband’s work and that half of town employees didn’t keep set working hours.

Former McPier chief Juan Ochoa, who’s running against Larry Dominick for town president, also called for an investigation, saying Elizabeth Dominick was “clearly in a position to make the determination.” This smacks slightly of political grandstanding yet we don’t know of anyone who doesn’t think a possible federal investigation into Cicero’s government would find it operating on the level. Nepotism, patronage and other preferential treatments seem like a birthright in the suburb.